Renee' Stemler,
Youth Watercolor Instructor --
Renee's family donated the
money in the Renee' Stemler Memorial Fund to Keweenaw Krayons, and since then
others have followed suit.
We are honored and will use these funds for art supplies and scholarships.
Thank you to all!
It
is January 28, 2003 and our hearts are filled with sadness. After waging a
very brave battle against leukemia, Renee's short but wonderful, full and giving
life ended last week. As with all of our staff, she was G
od
sent. I remember meeting her almost five years ago, as she came with
a beautician friend to look at beauty shop supplies (when I was closing that
chapter of my life and moving into retail art gallery). What a meeting!!! Within
days Renee' had brought over some of her beautiful watercolors to show me and I
was proud to display them in the shop. We talked about the possibility of
her teaching watercolor to the youth who were "hanging around".
And she did - you only have to look at our walls, ceilings, greeting cards and
calendars to see what a great artistic impact she had on young lives. But
she didn't only teach art - she taught life skills and values and self esteem
and so much more..
Her sayings will never leave. My favorite one: "There are no mistakes in art - only happy accidents."
We join her husband Mike, her children, Lyanne and Tyler, her parents, siblings, and all others whose life Renee' has touched, in their grief.