Bellingham Herald, The (WA)

January 3, 2007

Creating something beautiful out of tragedy is the artist's job. Bellingham artist Andrea Heimer is hoping her work will do just that as part of an online art auction to benefit the family of James Kim.

Tragedy struck the Kim family on the Oregon roads in late November. A Thanksgiving trip left Kati Kim a widow when her husband James died trying to find help for her and their two daughters, who had been stranded in their car for more than a week.

"Even before James was found, my mother (Gerrie Congdon) had this idea that we had to do something to both help the family and show how much we were touched by James' and Kati's courage and their family's plight," says Lisa Congdon, a San Francisco-based artist who sold her work in Kati Kim's boutique, Doe.

With the help of her mother and sister Stephanie Barnes, both from Portland, Congdon decided to have an art and crafts auction to benefit the family. The day she heard James Kim died, she posted news of the auction on her Web site.

"After James was found, organizing the auction became just as much an outlet for our collective grief for Kati and her two girls and for James' family and friends than a way to defray costs (for the family)," she says.

Heimer was one of the first artists to respond.

"Like everyone else, I was following the story, and it hit close to home," she says. "One wrong turn can happen to anyone."

She originally hails from Montana, and her husband, Mark, is from Alaska, so she understands the danger of driving on snowy roads and knows that, even in a world of GPS and MapQuest, getting truly lost can still happen.

"I think that's what captivated people so much," she says. "It just seemed like the whole world was watching."

Heimer's painting, "Strength," is one of 48 pieces in the auction, which begins today and will run until Jan. 7. She painted the piece specifically for the auction, using her signature pop-art style and vibrant color to give the painting a positive feel.

"I just wanted it to be a small piece, a really bright one," she says. "It's sort of an upbeat piece."

Heimer has only been painting for six months but has already enjoyed success in the art world, with her paintings selling in Los Angeles and locally.

She will be one of 44 artists and crafters whose work will be auctioned on eBay. Pieces include paintings, quilts, clothing and other crafts from artists throughout the country and the world. Congdon is hoping to raise at least $5,000, all of which will be donated to the James Kim Memorial Fund.

"Kati and James have been huge supporters of the art and craft community over the past several years," Congdon says. "This is our way of saying thank you."

For Heimer, giving back - even if the gesture is small - is a chance to let the Kim family know that people everywhere are thinking of them.

"You watch something like that and it makes you feel powerless, but it's nice to know you can do something for the family."