On Friday, July 29, members of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts and the larger community gathered at The Other Side Studio with a singular goal: pay tribute to their friend and avid arts-supporter, Kareen Burns.<\/p>\n
Kareen died in June<\/a><\/span> and a celebration of life was held at On the Docks Pub, but many were unable to attend and the HFA felt another celebration was in order. Kareen’s daughter, Meghan, asked that there be some kind of active component to the event; the HFA chose rock painting in recognition of Kareen’s love of stones and her creative spirit.<\/p>\n Dozens of people participated, some painting stones with the creative support of local artist Helena Renwick, others reminiscing and marvelling at the minimal but powerful gallery of photos that Meghan created.<\/p>\n “Kareen was a great motivator for the arts in Huntsville,” said Anna Gaby-Trotz, who worked with Kareen on her show, The Tiffany Stones<\/a><\/span>. “She saw things in a very different way but she was able to gather people and motivate people to be their best and better than they thought that they could be. You don’t find people like that all the time. She was a visionary in the community in the way that she was able to push people and gather people and go to the right person for the job. She was a really motivating and inspiring person. I think the town and anyone who met Kareen will miss that.”<\/p>\n HFA board member Suzanne Riverin agreed. “She was one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met and I miss her. But I feel her tonight, and I feel her throughout the summer. She is here, she is with us.”<\/p>\n\n\t\t