PRESERVATION
2026 - Tabor Opera House
Leadville, Colorado had been on my list for years, inspired in part by Tomboy Bride by Harriet Backus and her stories of life in the town. When I finally visited in 2025, my family and I followed in Harriet’s footsteps, walking from the home where she once lived to the Tabor Opera House - a walk she described as one of her and her husband’s favorites.
One story led to another. While waiting for our tour at the opera house, I found a book about Silver Dollar Tabor in the gift shop, which introduced me to the Tabor family and deepened my appreciation for the opera house and its place in Leadville’s history. That discovery would later help to inspire my Newport Echo Collection - and reminded me how one historic place can lead you to another worth knowing and preserving.
I’m happy to support the ongoing preservation of this remarkable building. These are the places - and the stories held within them - that deserve to live on for generations to come.
2026 - Bodie State Historic Park
When I first walked through Bodie in the summer of 2020, I knew one visit wouldn’t be enough. Though the town was quiet and still, I felt almost hurried to take it all in. Every window, doorway, and little nook seemed to hold something worth noticing.
I didn’t get to see it all that day, but I’ve followed Bodie ever since and continue to dream of returning. I’m grateful for the work being done to preserve this remarkable place and the details of everyday life that make its history feel so tangible. My donation is a small way of supporting that work and helping ensure Bodie remains a place where those stories can still be discovered.
2025 - San Juan County Historical Society
The San Juan County Historical Society and Silverton, Colorado is especially meaningful to me as one of the first mining regions I was ever introduced to - my parents worked in the mine here in the 1970s. The ghost town of Animas Forks, in particular, left a lasting impression from my very first visit and continues to be a place I return to with my family, including visits to my parents’ friends who still live in the town. It is an incredibly special place - rich in history, memory, and quiet inspiration that continues to shape my work.
2025 - Paso Robles Historical Society
My first contribution was to the Paso Robles Historical Society in my hometown of Paso Robles, California. Their headquarters is located in the historic Carnegie Library in the heart of downtown - a place that has long been a quiet landmark in my life. From childhood visits and library readings in the basement, to returning every year with my own children to explore the museum it now holds, this building has remained a constant thread through different seasons of my life. While the town itself is meaningful to me, the Carnegie Library has always stood out as a space of quiet beauty and inspiration, likely shaping my appreciation for history and detail long before I realized it. It felt only right that this would be the first place I chose to support.