From Spiva Center for the Arts newsletter -

Tricia Courtney's Angels Inspire Extreme Makeover

When a senior design producer from Extreme Makeover Home Edition visited Spiva to see On the Other Side, it was Tricia Courtney's angel made of tornado debris that she felt would be a perfect fit for the home she was working on.

Extreme spoke to Courtney about creating another angel specifically for one of seven homes built by crew and volunteers in the weeklong effort. She wound up creating two debris angels, both of which were prominently placed in the new home, which will be revealed in 2012.

Courtney, who had been overwhelmed and saddened by the loss of life and property after the tornado, felt inspired to create the angels. While helping people in the storm's aftermath, she was surrounded by the enormous amount of destruction the tornado caused. Friends familiar with the found object angels she had been making since 2005 suggested she do the same using tornado debris.

Courtney was initially concerned about the appropriateness of the idea. But after hearing the many stories concerning angels during the tornado, she was inspired to begin.

The pieces Courtney used for the Extreme Makeover angels were found in several different parts of the tornado path. She also used pieces from inside a storage unit on 4th Street that burned down following the tornado. Spiva director Jo Mueller and her husband, Don Ayers, were keeping items salvaged from their storm damaged home in the unit.

The Extreme Home containing Courtney's angel belongs to the Kari and Justin Nevins family, active Spiva members. During the planning phase of art selection, neither Spiva, nor Courtney, nor Extreme Home knew just how appropriate these angels would be.

Courtney created a Facebook page "Angels for Joplin." Additionally, her angels are available at the Rose Gallery of Fine Art, 508 N. Range Line Road, Joplin.