Kathryn  Cellerini Moore​

Reclaiming the Emerald City was a reading of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I invited audience members to sit in a hand-crafted garden to listen to the story about girl who tries find her way home.

Seattle is nicknamed the Emerald City because of its lush greenery that is present year-round. Like Dorothy, the I visited the Emerald City for guidance. I sought to create a healing environment to alleviate sadness and physiological distress I associated with traveling to Seattle, emotions that developed when Mom passed away in the city last Christmas.  Before she passed, Nana, my husband and I took turns reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  aloud to Mom while at the hospital. We didn't get to finish the entire story. During Reclaiming the Emerald City, I started and completed the book in the presence of Mom's shoes (which she wore to the hospital), that were transformed into Ruby Slippers by the artist one piece of glitter at a time. The reading took place less than a mile from the hospital, and served as an opportunity to rebuild a healthy relationship with the city.