A Phoenix Made From 18,000 Keys Rises From the Ashes of a Wildfire
In the wake of the disastrous and deadly Camp Fire, former Paradise, California, resident and community artist Jessie Mercer wanted to make something from the remnants of the town’s lost homes. Gathering more than 18,000 donated keys to homes, churches, schools, businesses, and cars, Jessie created an 800-pound sculpture of the mythological phoenix—a bird that is born again from the ashes of its predecessor. The finished piece, now in the Building Residency Center in Paradise, is a powerful symbol of loss and rebuilding.
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