When I heard the sad news that Deborah Triplett had died on January 31, 2023, I flashed back to my first contact with her. About ten years ago, I was taking our dog for a walk at the beginning of the Labor Day weekend when I noticed a sign for “Yard Art Day.” Intrigued, I Googled “Yard Art Day,” and that’s when I discovered that Deborah was the founder and driving force behind this community event. I wanted to participate, but it was supposed to take place on Labor Day, and that was just two days away. I emailed Deborah and asked her if I could still sign up, and she responded immediately. She encouraged me to go ahead and register, which I did. From that point on, I have been a regular participant in Yard Art Day. For more information about Yard Art Day, please click on the following link: https://yardartday.org/
Most of my Yard Art Day projects are book related, and three of them are still located in our front yard. The most recent is a nature-themed bookshelf that appears to be growing out of the earth. It includes a pig that is climbing out of a book. My goal in creating this piece of yard art was to merge books with nature. I shared a photograph of this piece with Deborah, and she responded by telling me that it was in keeping with her approach to gardening. I later learned that Deborah is known in her neighborhood for her whimsical garden in which plants and folk art are intermixed in a wonderful way.
Deborah’s creative spirit is reflected in her work as a professional portrait photographer, her zany approach to gardening, and her community organizing activities. In addition to doing her own creative work, she made an effort to nurture the creative spirit in others. In 2014, I commented on this side of Deborah in a letter that appeared in The Charlotte Observer.
I wrote, “As a participant in Yard Art Day, I commend Deborah Triplett for organizing this innovative event. Her vision of an open-ended opportunity to create and share art is a perfect counterpoint to the restrictive and competitive events that dominate so much of the art world today. In all my interactions with Deborah, she always took an encouraging and supportive approach. Charlotte is fortunate to have such a great grassroots organizer and artist working in our community.”
Deborah read my letter and sent me a memorable reply. She concluded by writing, “All I have ever wanted to do is leave some sort of mark on the world even if a small one…make it a better place. So, reading your letter to the editor made me feel I had accomplished this. I don’t have children to convey this so what I do either professionally or in the community is extra important to me. Thank you for taking the time to write that letter. And a double thanks for participating and grasping what Yard Art Day is truly about.”
Deborah did, in fact, leave her mark on the world. Storied Charlotte is a better place because of Deborah and her indomitable creative spirit.