Support Amy Charbonneau's Healing Art Project

Hello, my name is Amy Charbonneau and I am ready to do the darn thing already! I have dabbled in Art since I was a kid and consider myself a creative, but rarely share it with others because I felt it wasn't good enough. So, instead of following my dreams of art school, I went the secure route and became a Firefighter/Paramedic in hopes of helping people. I did that for 24 years until it came to a very sudden end, leaving me with severe PTSD, a whole lot of loss and uncertainty, as well as doubts about my capabilities to do anything well again.

That is where Art came back around full circle to save me in a way. The past 5 years have been a bit of a whirlwind. I have lost and found myself again in the deepest, most uncomfortable dive into my mental health and wellness and am ready to truly tackle Art in a bigger way.

To honor the Whirlwind this healing journey has been and this being the Year of the Snake, it is about time to shed old skins and take off! Burning Man has always been a place that has encouraged radical creativity, so why not start showing up as an Artist in the most amazing desert gallery, the Black Rock Desert!

I am creating a 10-20' metal spiral whirlwind structure wrapped in rope to appear like a snake. It will have a snake head and glowing eyes, be anchored to the playa on a turntable, so that the whirlwind has the appearance of spinning across the desert. Participants can stand in the eye of the storm and find their inner calm.

I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know that I always figure it out! With your support I can bring this to life in honor of everyone that has been sucked into a storm or outgrown a skin that has been choking the life out of them. We all can find our stillness in the storm and learn the lessons the spirals in our lives can teach us.

Thank you for any kind of contribution you can make to bring SSSSWhirlwind to life. Any support with materials, equipment, transportation, & installation would be greatly appreciated. Whether you donate or share the fundraiser, any kind of help counts.