My dears,
Our much-loved Val Garrison left us one year ago today, a fact which still seems inconceivable. I miss her every day.
Here is something good: the Valerie Garrison Art and Education Scholarship is launched! Miles and Sandy and I have chosen the very first recipient from Val’s hometown high school. The student’s name is Mikala; she wants to become a psychiatric nurse and she hopes to incorporate art therapy in her work. In her application, she writes: “Art has helped me through some very rough times, and I don’t ever plan to give it up.” I hope the vote of confidence this small scholarship represents will help her in finding her way into the bigger world.
The Val Garrison Art and Education Scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior girl, with respectable grades, who demonstrates qualities of lively curiosity and creativity and/or shows an outstanding aptitude for one or more creative arts. Its goal is to help support girls like Val — curious, creative, perhaps nonconforming girls; girls who might need to get out into the wider world to thrive; girls with, as Miles put it, a real “spark” to them — as they reach to open the doors to more art and education.
I think Val “Art Saves Lives” Garrison would be delighted.
Love,
Deborah
p.s. If you wish to contribute to this fund honoring Val’s memory, you can always still do so. Just let me know.