North Carolina artist creates ‘Bluebirds of Hope’ from glass shattered by Helene
As the bits of glass piled up in her studio, Salavea said she noticed how beautifully they reflected the sunlight. Those colorful reflections then prompted the artist to repurpose the glass, giving them a life beyond their brokenness.
North Carolina artist creates ‘Bluebirds of Hope’ from glass shattered by Helene
An artist in western North Carolina is creating beauty from the devastation of Helene, as her community continues to recover one year after the historic storm.
OLD FORT, N.C. – An artist in western North Carolina is creating beauty from the devastation of Helene, as her community continues to recover one year after the historic storm.
For Omi Salavea, the pursuit to create from what was broken began the winter after Helene wreaked havoc on her town of Old Fort, North Carolina.
While still reeling from the physical and spiritual toll of the storm, she began making figurines inspired by Bluebirds of Hope – a symbol of happiness – to create a bit of joy as she and her tight-knit community mourned.
"Bluebird of Hope" by Salavea. (Omi Salavea / @omi.salavea / Instagram / FOX Weather)
The seed of the idea began after Salavea noticed broken bits of glass and other sharp debris throughout parts of Old Fort in the wake of Helene.
She noted how she felt compelled to pick up the pieces she found.
"We already had been through a massive, historic event, and I didn't want one more bad thing to happen to somebody, like getting a flat tire," she said.
She also noted that her actions made an impact beyond making the devastated areas of Old Fort safer.
"I think it was my coping mechanism to pick up broken bits of glass and nails," she added.
Pieces of glass Salavea collected. (Omi Salavea / FOX Weather)
As the bits of glass piled up on her desk, Salavea said she noticed how beautifully they reflected the sunlight. Those colorful reflections then prompted the artist to repurpose the glass, giving them a life beyond their brokenness.
For many of those pieces, that life took the shape of Bluebirds of Hope, bird-shaped figurines made of clear resin that hold the shards of Helene within.
Salavea then began using the birds to help highlight and tell the story of her town of about 800 people, as it continues to rebuild after the disastrous storm.
Inspired by a beloved hobby of geocaching, Salavea kicked off scavenger hunts in which she hides the Bluebirds of Hope throughout Old Fort in areas that were severely damaged by Helene, in addition to areas that have recovered.
Bluebird of Hope. (Omi Salavea / FOX Weather)
She hopes that, by giving visitors to Old Fort a chance to search for the birds, she is giving them a chance to see her community in ways that major headlines about Helene's impacts on western North Carolina might miss.
Anyone can participate in the scavenger hunt, as Salavea leaves clues about where she hides her Bluebirds of Hope online.
"I would love to continue this on until there's no more glass and no more nails to pick up," she said.
To learn more about the scavenger hunts, the Bluebirds of Hope and Salavea's work, you can follow her on Instagram.