Urban Escape

16×16″
Mixed media collage of vintage books and origami
By Julianne Mahler

I started to think of myself as an artist late in life. This artistic phase of my life is a (another) new invention of myself. My first career was 32 years as a geologist in the oil and gas industry. I have traveled extensively, so my influences are quite global. My family is at the heart of my reasons for being. I am a mother (and grandmother), a wife, a daughter, a sister.

Becoming an artist, like life itself, has been a journey. Art, craft, and handwork are an

emotional outlet for me, but it has taken a very long time to think of myself as an artist rather than one who ‘crafts.’ The boundary between art and craft is one that I find to be quite blurred. I can, however, define a singular moment that became a turning point in my journey. On January 1 st of 2019, I received news that forced me to accept that my ‘golden years’ were not going to be as I had planned them. I decided to fold 1000 origami cranes that year as a form of meditation. 

During that journey folding 1000 origami cranes, I also started folding old books – first in abstract designs and then in more figurative patterns.

In the course of my career as a woman in a male-dominated field, and as a member of a religious minority, I have tried to be an ally and advocate for those who are under-represented. Encouraging Black and Latino students to study geology; encouraging women to pursue leadership roles. 

Supporting the DREAM Affect (and the two amazing women who founded the organization) to provide art resources for Black students is all part of the value of Tikkun Olam – healing the world.