Creating in a time of crisis
Libba Tracy launches Mugs on a Mission initiative
Jessica Klarp
Special to The Valley Echo
May 29, 2020
Libba Tracy created 100 mugs for her Mugs on a Mission initiative, which will benefit Black Mountain nonprofit Bounty & Soul. The mugs are on display at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, which will also receive a portion of the money raised by sales. Courtesy of Jessica Klarp
Situated in a corner of her barn, Libba Tracy is creating in a time of crisis. Like many creatives who have found solace in their art, the artist’s process is a comfort, a slice of normalcy amid uncertainty and concern.
Tracy is a respected ceramicist who produces and sells in the vibrancy of the River Arts District, creating distinctive large animal sculptures, usually in community with other artists and surrounded by tourists. Sequestered now in the solitude of her makeshift barn studio, she started small, making intricately designed mugs and turned inward.
“The reality of the pandemic left me agitated to find purpose and meaning somehow through the clay,” said Tracy. “I’ve been working in clay for 10 years now mostly creating sculpture, but found that doing the status quo was a lifeless endeavor when so many are on the skinny branches of well being. Alone on this farm, what can I do to contribute and what is needed?”
So she kept making mugs until she came up with a plan.
Tracy has now created 100 unique, beautifully designed, lusciously glazed, distinctive mugs and cups now available for purchase. She’s calling it Mugs on a Mission, an endeavor designed to generate funds to help the many local community members who are food insecure.
She reached out to Virginia Dollar, senior program advisor for the Community Foundation of WNC. They discussed the disruption of the food-supply chain and what it meant for WNC residents in need. Dollar cited a May 14 article on grist.org that highlighted the impacts of COVID-19 on the food supply chain.
“Food waste might seem like an odd problem to have during a pandemic,” read the piece by Sierra Garcia and Emily Pontecorvo, “but the shuttering of restaurants, arenas, schools and other public institutions has created a glut of fresh produce stuck on farms with no buyers. Those producers operate within a completely separate supply chain to those who supply direct-to-consumer markets like grocery stores and food banks.”
For those watching the news showing truckloads of milk being dumped on the ground, and especially for those in need of that milk, this is a tragedy that needs resolution and soon.
After doing her due diligence, Tracy chose Bounty & Soul, a well-established community based nonprofit providing access to fresh produce and wellness education as the beneficiary of her efforts. Bounty & Soul’s outreach has expanded in the face of the unprecedented need the pandemic has created.
“The need is great,” said Ali Casparian, executive director of Bounty & Soul. “There was a need before, but the closures have had a significant economic impact on our local economy which relies so heavily on tourism.”
As to the disruption of the food supply chain, Casparian says, “The good thing is we live where we live and we have all these local farms. Our effort is to support the local food economy, so we see this as an opportunity in a time of need. We know we will be in this for a while. The generosity of the community, the idea of community helping community just reinforces our values of inclusivity, positivity and hope.”
A display inside Black Mountain Center for the Arts features mugs created by Libba Tracy, who launched Mugs on a Mission to benefit local nonprofit organization Bounty & Soul. Courtesy of Jessica Klarp
Tracy turned to the Black Mountain Center for the Arts (BMCA), an organization she and her family have consistently supported over the 20 years of its existence, to fire display and market the mugs. In return, a small percentage of the profits will benefit the BMCA, who has also suffered during the COVID-19 closures.
“I know there are people out there who want to help,” said Tracy, “people who, like me, feel a need to help, but just aren’t sure how. I’m hoping to turn clay into meals for people in need. Fifty dollars a mug will go a long way in supporting those in our community. Mugs on a Mission is an avenue for people to contribute.”
“It’s something that feels good on multiple levels,” she continued. “You get to help feed our community and walk away with a cup of comfort.”
To learn more about Bounty & Soul go to BountyandSoul.org. To purchase a Mug on a Mission visit the Black Mountain Center for the Arts located at 225 W. State St., visit blackmountainarts.org/shop or call 828-669-0930.