When Nadia Rieger came to town just a couple of years ago now, she didn’t really know what the reception would be like for someone looking to do what she does.
She came here wanting to open a small gallery where local artists could show off and sell their creations, as well as teach art to anyone wanting to learn, so she opened the Crow’s Nest Gallery and Studio in Willow Point. She never expected to be called a hero for it.
“I guess it feels good to know that I’m helping people find or develop their passion for art,” she says, after finding out her name was on the list for this year’s Local Heroes Awards. “People often tell me how I’ve helped them heal from something or get through a hard time and that they’re so thankful that I’m here because now they have an outlet and a place for them to show what they do and share their talents and that I encourage them.”
Because some people, she has come to learn, can’t live without art.
“There are just some people who can’t live without creating, without being artistic, and I have a place where they can do that and I offer it to anyone, of all ages, even if they can’t afford it. Because I remember when I found out that art was what I needed in my life, and there’s really nothing better than helping someone else find that out, too.”