Marnie Hillsley was a prolific artist, a maker of jewelry, a mystic, a singer, a keen student of nature, a wife and mother, and countless things beyond. Before she died on May 11, Marnie asked that a fund be established for people who wished to remember her by making a donation to the nationally recognized Habitat for Artists project, conceived and maintained by her husband, artist Simon Draper.

Habitat for Artists is an artist-run group that explores the nature of creativity, the role of the artist in our communities, and methods to continually broaden the artistic audience by cultivating a direct and collaborative dialogue with small communities. HFA works with local artists who are interested in evolving different work paradigms and posing questions relative to sustainable practice. The catalyst for these explorations are small, 6x6 temporary and reusable studios that HFA creates and installs in venues from small town streets to public parks, farms, and museums. For more information about HFA, please visit http://habitatforartists.org/.