About

Memories In Art

In the Shadow of the Tetons

I grew up in both in a two-room cabin, without running water or electricity, near the largest Superfund site in N. America, and the vitally important copper city, Butte, MT during the school years and under the base of the Tetons, bordering wilderness and national parks during the summers. The dichotomy of this upbringing paired with its rural nature left me with time to study and appreciate light, perspective, and juxtaposition. It also inspired curiosity in the rest of the world.

While attending the University of Montana, Missoula, I studied abroad in Grenoble, France. After five years in total, I earned a B.F.A. in Photography and an B.A. in French, graduating in 2002. Upon graduation, my boyfriend at the time and later late husband, Luke Neraas, and I took his VW bus to Alaska to pursue sea kayaking for the summer. We had a phenomenal season outside of Seward, Ak on Lowell Point working for Bob and exploring Resurrection Bay, Bear Glacier, and the Gulf of Alaska.

We returned to Missoula for a few more years before the lure of Alaska struck again with an opportunity for Luke to get his masters in fisheries from the University of Alaska, SE, Juneau. After misreading a job opportunity, I was nevertheless happily hired to build a boat brokerage website while I learned dreamweaver. My desk looked over the ocean, sea planes landing, and cruise ships coming to port. We got to ski on an island, where we once spotted whales from the top of while skiing! We had terrific friends, enjoyed the island-like culture, beautiful views, and awesome opportunities – I had even had a solo show at Juneau Arts!

In 2008, we returned to the valley of my youth, where winters are typically plentiful (good for skiers) and we had family. It wasn’t long before Luke was readily included into the fold of Lucey Electric and we thought to stay. Finding an old farmhouse and an acre of land sealed the deal. Having gotten engaged the year before, we also tied the knot on the banks of the Big Hole, outside of Melrose, MT on September 27th that year.

In February of 2011, we had our firstborn, Elsa Bird. Luke was one proud father and she was one cute babe. It was a good run of country living, friends, babies, and gardens. By the fall of 2012 it was time to fetch my sister, who’d been working for peace corps in Peru for two years. Luke kindly made the journey with my mother, step-mother, self, and Elsa, of course. We were quite the crew. Unbeknownst to us, we came back with one more on board… later we would find out we were pregnant with our second. Later still, we would find out she would not make it. At 27 weeks, I was granted an induction at the University of Utah, where Swift Spirt was born on June 17, 2013.

A little over a year later, Luke would be struck by an incredibly painful headache while coming home from a friend’s wedding in Montana. He would not go to work on Monday and a CT scan would go on to show brain swelling that was addressed in Idaho Falls, while at the same time providing a biopsy that would confirm a diagnosis of glioblastoma, a devastating diagnosis. In 14 months, Luke had 3 brain resections, and one experimental procedure. He also ran a marathon, shot and hauled out a moose, skied, worked, and more. After an incredible fight, we all had to begrudgingly let go. Luke took his last breath on September, 26, 2015 at 39 years old. Leaving myself at 36 with Elsa, who was four, two dogs, and flock of chickens.

In 2017, I was lucky enough to be hired by the Community Foundation of Teton Valley, where I get to help promote the success and impact of good causes across the valley and communities I love. I’m incredibly grateful to support the community that has supported me through so much of life. In 2026, I’m celebrating my 10th Tin Cup Challenge with the Foundation, an art show at the Teton Arts Gallery in downtown Driggs, Idaho with another brilliant collage artist, Peggy Nishio, enjoying time with my ever-growing, teenage daughter, partner, and the puppies.