Pocket Life

January 2021
By Corky Mau

This Quilt’s Alive

Flowerbed art makes a statement

The long awaited “Living Quilt” has taken root at Sojourner Truth Community Garden, with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and City Councilmember Rick Jennings on hand for the dedication. The celebration was scaled back due to health protocols, but those in attendance helped place the quilt squares.

Jane Ingram Allen, an environmental artist from Santa Rosa, has created similar projects in Asia. She is one of 10 artists selected by the city’s Artist-in-Residency program. The goal is to install creative art pieces throughout the city. “Especially at this time, it’s important to enrich each city district with art,” says Jennings, who represents Pocket. “I encourage our residents to visit this new addition to the community garden.”

Allen’s piece is most appropriate for a community garden setting. The “Living Quilt” consists of an all-natural flowerbed. The North Star quilt pattern reflects on the legacy of Sojourner Truth, a former slave, abolitionist and suffragette. Allen says, “I hope my art raises community awareness of environmental issues and our relationship to nature. Each spring, it will remind us of nature’s cycle of life and our responsibility as caretakers of the earth.”

Volunteers wove mulberry bush and grapevine branches to create the head and foot of the mulched bed. Allen made paper-pulp quilt squares and embedded them with native wildflower seeds that will thrive in our climate. She anticipates the quilt will show its first bloom this spring.

Community gardeners are thrilled about this local living artwork. Will Cannedy, who spearheaded the community garden six years ago, says, “Our garden is a gathering place for residents. It’s nice to share the space with the art community.”

For more information about other 2020 Artist-in-Residency projects, visit arts.cityofsacramento.org.

JEDI BIRTHDAY

Former Sacramento County Supervisor Illa Collin celebrates her 88th birthday this month. She was born Jan. 24 in Rock Springs, Wyo. Prior to her political career, she taught school in Oregon and California. Collin represented District 2 from 1978 to 2006, accomplishing much in her 28-year tenure.

She championed the preservation of the county’s open spaces and was instrumental in creating the Sacramento Tree Foundation and American River Parkway Foundation. As a tribute, the Illa Collin Preserve at Mather Field bears her name. Other tributes are the Illa Collin Early Learning Center (a Head Start school) and Illa Collin Park, both in South Sacramento.

Collin also helped establish and fund Pocket’s Asian Community Center. Due to recent health issues, she now resides at Maple Tree Village, the newest ACC senior apartment complex. She’s a major fan of Star Wars—she owns more than 500 figurines and movie paraphernalia.

“My husband Don and I raised three daughters—four, if you count my cat Clarabelle,” Collin says. “I look forward to celebrating my birthday with all of them and my favorite Star Wars character, Darth Vader.”

NUTMOBILE

Was that a huge yellow peanut cruising on Greenhaven Drive? Yes, the NUTmobile rolled into our neighborhood around Thanksgiving.

The vehicle visited local senior centers for socially distanced enjoyment. It was fun to hang out with three NUTmobile ambassadors, recent college graduates, who travel the country promoting Planters nut products. Here’s the lowdown:
The NUTmobile is 26 feet long and weighs 13,000 pounds—a weight equal to 3 million peanuts. More than 400 pounds of peanuts and cashews are on board to distribute to the public. Three NUTmobiles travel the country, each with a custom license plate. The one in Sacramento was MRPNUT1.

NEW LIBRARY SERVICES

Two new services have been introduced at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library. Personal Shopper is exactly what the name implies. Patrons fill out a form online and share their interests, then library staff assemble a bag of books. The bag is ready for pick up in a few days.

The library also has implemented Mobile Printing. You can send documents to the library’s printers from anywhere. These services are free to library patrons.

The library is still open during regular hours for walk-in browsing and computer use. Visits are limited to one hour. The book drop for returns is always open. For more information, visit saclibrary.org.

Corky Mau can be reached at corky.sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.