Volume 1, Issue 23 NOVEMBER 3, 2023
Pasha Ruggles of Hart places in top 25 at ArtPrize By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor
PERMIT NO 62
PRE-SORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE
RESIDENTIAL POSTAL CUSTOMER PAID ECRWSS BIG RAPIDS, MI 49307
Pasha Ruggles of Hart was walking on the beach with her kids in September 2015 when they came across a couple pieces of driftwood and wanted to take them home. Kids being kids, Ruggles herself ended up carrying them most of the way back to the car, and when she tossed them into the back, she found herself fascinated at the way they landed— looking exactly like the body and tail of a small fish. The rest was history. Ruggles, who owns and operates Rugglesville Big Springs Goat Milk Soaps, has been using driftwood as a medium for her art ever since, and she achieved a milestone at this year’s ArtPrize festival in Grand Rapids. Her driftwood art, a collection she dubbed “Michigan Eden,” was named a top-25 selection at the festival. Ruggles spent the first few years of her time as a driftwood artist making gifts for family, starting with a blue herring (complete with a smaller fish in its mouth) she gave her parents for Christmas just a few months into her new pursuit. Those gifts marked the extent of her art journey until 2019, when she put together a rooster and
The soccer fields at the Norman E. Kuhne Recreation Park, above, were vandalized last week, along with the property at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Weare. A reMichigan weather due ward has been offered for identification of the vandal or vandals. • Contributed to her unheated garage, Ruggles spent three summers, she said, working Hansen Foods has donated a $250 partment in pursuit of identifying the on her “Michigan Eden.” reward for information leading to vandal or vandals. The work was inspired identifying the vandal or vandals who Anyone with information can in particular by two difdamaged the soccer fields at Norreach out to the sheriff’s office. ferent pieces she came man E. Kuhne Recreation Park on or across: a large piece of Submitting Tips wood that she thought around Thursday, Oct. 27. If anyone has information that The park is located at 3986 N. looked like the Marvel they believe may be helpful to deOceana Dr. in Hart Township, adcharacter Groot’s head— tectives in solving a case, the Oceajacent to the District Health Deshe later found a hollow na County Sheriff’s Deparment partment #10 0ffice. The vandalism log that could pass for would very much appreciate anyincludes multiple burnouts or doughhis torso—and a small one reaching out to them. There nuts performed on the playing fields, tree with vines wrapped are multiple ways to get in-touch, resulting in significant damage to the around it that evoked including: grassy turf and necessitating multiple images of snakes in her • Email: tip@oceanasheriff.net mind. The tree worked repairs. • Private message us on Facebook The maintenance of these fields is well with a large collec• Call the Silent Observer line at largely supported by donation funds, tion of wood-knot apples (888) 786-7274 pay-for-play fees and public support she had amassed, fitting • Call one of their detectives at from our local communities. Thouthe Eden theme. (231) 873-2121 sands of dollars are spent each year “I had all these wood on seed, fertilizer, weed control, irriknot apples, and I didn’t A similar incident occurred at St. know what I was collect- gation and on-going regular maintenance. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Weare ing them for, but I colThis gross act of vandalism ultiTownship near the same time, and lected 60 of them,” Rugmately affects the children and grandit is believed that the two situations gles said. children, who benefit from this famay be related. The Eden had sevAny questions, concerns, or intereral other animals in cility. The Hart Area Recreation Club is asking for public input as to who est in volunteering to help our cause it, such as an eagle, a may have witnessed or can otherwise may be directed to: hartrecclub@ turtle, a buck, a koi fish assist the Oceana County Sheriff Degmail.com. and more, but Ruggles’ favorites were a duck and a bullfrog. The duck was made of two different pieces of wood she The Oceana Echo is elated to wel- events for Shoreline Media Group. found that she said fit come Andy Roberts and Madison A Ball State graduate, he came to together “like magic” Lajewski to its team! the area in May 2012 to cover local to form the animal, and Andy is an award-winning writ- sports and has never left. He, his wife the bullfrog consisted of er and photographer who comes to Amy, and their two sons live in Rothjust one piece of wood, the Echo after 11 years covering local bury. Most recently, he was editor of which Ruggles added the White Lake Beacon newspaper. small sticks to make it “I’m thrilled to team back up with appear as though the several colleagues at the Echo,” Robfrog was leaping forward. erts said. “Our group cares deeply There are no humans in about providing the best local coverEden. Ruggles joked that age in our community, and we have “Adam and Eve were on big plans that we’re looking forward vacation.” to bringing to the area. Stay tuned!” Ruggles’ top-25 finish Madison is originally from Flint wasn’t the only way her and graduated from Central Michwork was noticed at Artigan University in 2022, where she Prize; she said the Gerald studied journalism, and women and Ford Art Museum’s depgender studies. “I am excited to inuty director, Jim Kratsas, troduce myself to Oceana County approached her during and begin writing for and workiing ArtPrize and offered with this community.” space as a venue if she “It is wonderful to work with entered the show again. Andy and Madison again. Their work “I think he really liked ethic and sense of community make my artwork,” Ruggles them a great fit for our Echo team,” said. “It is super cool. It’s Echo Publishing Inc. Vice President definitely unique.” Andy Roberts and Madison Lajewski Amanda Dodge said.
$250 reward offered in vandalism case
put it on display at the spring arts and crafts show in Pentwater. “Within the first hour of the two-day show, I sold the rooster for $800,” Ruggles said. “I couldn’t believe it. An interior designer lady bought it for her friend, an art collector who lives in Aspen. After that, I decided I wasn’t going to give (my art) away as gifts anymore or sell it, but make something big for ArtPrize.” Ruggles’ art isn’t made by woodworking, but simply by using her artist’s eye to devise the best way to display the pieces of driftwood she comes across. “I don’t carve anything,” Ruggles said. “Nature shapes it, and I just put it together. People at ArtPrize thought I carved it.” Making Ruggles’ artwork even more impressive is that she has a condition known as retinitis pigmentosa, which is slowly taking away her peripheral vision. Ruggles finds the artwork relaxing, though, and said she believes her condition actually makes her a better artist. “Honestly, I think that’s why I can do such good detail in my art; I have a smaller area to focus on,” Ruggles said. “It’s very therapeutic to work out in my garage and lose myself in my art.” Because she had to work on it in her spare time and was limited by
The Oceana Echo team is expanding