Jarka's Art Studio Burned Down!

Update 2 (April 18): Wow--the support circle keeps widening, so thank you to all who are keeping this fundraiser going and helping Jarka heal from her studio fire! Here's what's happening now: Jarka is getting a load of wood delivered today and James (Jarka's handy husband) is going to build her stretchers. She is buying canvas paint brushes and a lot of wool for felting. Her next show starts in the beginning of June! "I have a month to get ready. Im so glad I have this goal in mind. It makes me look forward and start to make artwork right away. I couldn't have been able to start this fast without the support of all the people. Your generosity and believing in me! After I install this show, then I can start to look for a new studio space and buy kilns and start some sculptures." I know we are all so excited to see what Jarka creates next--thank you all!!!

Update 1: Wow! We hit our goal--let's keep it going! Jarka said she feels like all the energy she put into her art is coming back to her with this outpouring of support from so many old friends, new friends, and people she has not met yet. "It is an unbelievable feeling, all this love and support. It is a Gift. I lost alot, but am gaining so much; it means so much that my art is so appreciated. After so many years of doing this, I am so touched that there are so many people involved in it...hearing from people from way back how much my art has meant to them. I cant wait to get back on track and take all this energy and feelings and channel it into new work". On that note, she is already talking about a Pheonix show collaborating with others who experienced the same loss. So we will keep you all updated on that!

On Monday she went back to the ashes and found a felted bird had survived the blast and blaze. So I am sure we will be hearing more about that bird, too.

Jarka (the beloved brilliant, creative, kind Madison-based artist) experienced a devastating fire that destroyed her Studio on the night of March 31 2023.

Being the eternal optimist she is, she is focusing on how everybody is safe, including the firefighters. But she lost decades of artwork (paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, and more) as she was preparing for a major retrospective of her work and had collected everything in the studio.

Jarka worked, taught workshops, brought the community together for open studio events, and created in that studio for many years. The studio was more than just a place. Everyone who was lucky to spend time in Jarka’s warm company and the company of her inspiring artwork at the Studio knows it was a special place of creative Possibility. As a mixed-media artist Jarka’s Art Studio was also jam packed with special supplies and interesting tools that were all destroyed.

While she will certainly be grieving her losses and much of what she lost is irreplaceable, she is also already eagerly looking forward to starting new work and continuing the workshops she had planned.

To get going again, she urgently needs to replace art supplies, materials, and tools. We can help her with that!

Any amount of donation you can afford would be so appreciated and put to very good use! This will go a long way to getting Jarka back in action (benefiting Madison, WI and the world!) and heal from this terrible tragedy.

Please share widely on your social media! Feel free to include messages of support here for Jarka to see.