Altadena Fire Relief for Coleen & Michael

The ongoing historic Eaton fire has ripped through our community and destroyed countless homes, including the home and studio of our dear friends Coleen Sterritt and Michael Reilly.

Their special corner of Altadena was the site of unforgettable gatherings and special moments, built and renovated over the years into a distilled reflection of who they both are. We are all in shock at their loss and ask for everyone’s help during this difficult time. For anyone who would like to get to know them better, we have the information below to share:

A graduate of the University of Illinois and Otis Art Institute, her teaching career began in 1983 and has included positions at California State University, Fullerton; Otis College of Art & Design; and The Claremont Graduate University. In 1998 she began a storied tenure as a professor and faculty coordinator of the sculpture program at Long Beach City College. As much as she is a passionate and driven artist, she has cemented a legacy of teaching and community building for over four decades. The community of artists that she nurtured throughout her time teaching and beyond owe her so much — her life has been dedicated to her art and her students, both of which were reflected in every inch of her home and beautiful workspace and studio, all of which has now been lost to the Eaton fire.

Michael’s extensive work over the years on the house and its incredible surroundings, with its hand-built rock walls and intimate paths, was a massive labor of love. Nowhere was that love more evident than in the drawing studio he built Coleen behind their home and Coleen’s sculpture studio – a warm and tranquil place he created for her, once full of drawings and collages, now also gone. Together they had created an oasis, lush with towering agaves and sages, and on warm summer nights they enjoyed listening to music outside with a glass of wine, their dogs Tinker and Nellie by their side. We hope someday they are able to feel at ease like that again and reach some sense of normalcy.

Both Coleen and Michael are fierce and vocal organizers who have spent countless nights fighting for positive change, taking people in when they've needed it, always offering help to anyone less fortunate. Please help us come together for them at this incredibly difficult time.

This fundraiser is being organized by their friends Evelia and Ashton Amores in Lakewood, CA. All funds will be transferred directly to Coleen and Michael to help them recover from the Eaton fire. Funds will be used to directly help and support them.

Thank you,

Evelia