Sharon E. Burroughs Stevens

1972
Hiya world.

THE EARLY YEARS
New England childhood.
High school spent in “the region.” Darn it if I didn't live in Indiana, but I liked to say I was from a suburb of Chicago.

1995
Graduate with a  B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
Marry my hunka, hunka burnin' love, whom I met the the first week of my freshman year of college.
Move to NJ, a half hour from the Delaware Water Gap and 40 minutes from THE city.
First job with benefits at Kvaerner Engineering and Construction. A bullet on my resume from that time says I "earned an early promotion due to expedient project closeout." That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

1998
Move to Germany.
Work at Phyton Biotech GmbH. Have my "work reviewed by FDA auditor during a successful pre-approval inspection." Not bad.
See lots of European sites and drink tasty beers & wines.

1999
Move to Chapel Hill, NC to live and love under Carolina blue skies.
Disengage from my engineering ways. 
Work for Steinway Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC where I "interfaced with artists represented by the gallery." That means if an artist phoned I got to chat with him or her until the owner was ready to take the call. Also mat and frame art.
Watercolor painting exhibited at Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, NC.
Handmade lampshades and lampstands exhibited at Trace Gallery in Raleigh, NC.

2000 - 2006
Earn a Certificate in Graphic Design from the School of Communication Arts, SCA, in Raleigh, NC, where I am presented with a Merit Award for Highest Achievement in Computer Graphic Design. SCA has since been rebranded as Living Arts College.
Join Design*Nation (D*N) as a freelance web designer. Pitch jobs, develop proposals, design comps, work one-on-one with customer, publish sites. Clients include: Carolina Meadows, Tangerine Dino, Alphanumeric, Biolex Therapeutics, Wilder Communications, Exploris (now Marbles),  Structure House, Rey's Restaurant, Chapel Hill Service League, The Center for International Understanding (The University of North Carolina), Goodwill Community Foundation, The Billion (including the band's CDs and promotional materials). Most of these sites have been revamped.
Baby 1 is born.
Baby 2A and Baby 2B are born.
Lovingly say goodbye to D*N and plunge into stay-at-home momma world.

2007 - 2009
My mom dies from cancer.
Start Art for My Mom, a tribute to my mother in which I create a piece of art every day for a year.
Four months after my mom's death my dad dies unexpectedly.
Raise ~$4,000 from the sale of the art via ArtforMyMom.com, which is donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Triangle Affiliate, Chapel Hill Service League, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The ArtsCenter, and CARE.

2010 - 2013
In between school carpool lines, too many volunteer positions to mention, swim team practices, choir rehearsals, Scout camping trips: design logo, t-shirts & posters for small Chapel Hill music festival, sew tooth fairy pillows, design cover art for local Chapel Hill bands as well as Washington-based Birdhouse Ministries CD, silkscreen pillows, direct & produce annual family home movies, and begin creating the art on this site!

2014 - NOVEMBER 2015
Solo Exhibition, Perch Coworking, Carrboro, NC (July - August 2014)
2nd Friday Art Walk, coverage by ArtsNow, scroll down for photo
Solo Exhibition, The ArtsCenter, Emerging Artist Series, Carrboro, NC (December 2014)
Group Exhibition, Visual Art Exchange, Members Challenge, Raleigh, NC (February 2015)
Group Exhibition, The Carrack Modern Art, Open Call Community Show, Durham, NC (June 2015)
Juried Group Exhibition, Visual Art Exchange, The Image Exhibition, Raleigh, NC (October 2015)
Juried Group Exhibition, Durham Art Guild's Room 100 Gallery at Golden Belt Arts, Fifty/50: Durham’s Edgiest Pop-up Art Shop, Durham, NC (November 2015)

DECEMBER 2015 - 2018
Well F. Get a cancer diagnosis, on my birthday no less. The details are boring, but they involve chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries. I hunker down, take a creative hiatus, and fight/ endure/ love/ I could add a hundred more verbs. I am currently N.E.D. (No Evidence of Disease,) and plan to stay that way for a very, very long time, thus my surge in cruciferous vegetable intake and almost daily exercise. Mindfulness, deep tissue massage, yoga, brewing kombucha, and acupuncture all make their way into my life and slowly so does art. Oh yeah, I also performed on stage as guitarist and singer with my pop-up band, Party of One, as part of a Girls Rock NC fundraiser!

2019 - 2020
Group Exhibition, The Carrack Modern Art, Rupture, Rapture, Revolution: Community Art Show, Durham, NC (January 25 - February 9, 2019)
Solo Exhibition, Open Eye Cafe, Carrboro, NC (February 2019)
Art Auction, Visual Art Exchange, VAE Gala, Raleigh, NC (February 16, 2019)
Group Exhibition, The ArtsCenter, 2019 Community Art Exhibit in the Nicholson Gallery, Carrboro, NC (March 2019)
Magazine Featured Artist, The Blotter, Cover, interior highlight and personal essay (May 2019)
Fundraiser, The Carrack Modern Art, Sticky Note Show, Durham, NC (June 27 - June 30, 2019)
Solo Exhibition, Perch Coworking, Carrboro, NC (June - July 2019)
Temporary Installation, Group, Meet the Moment Art Walk, Chapel Hill, NC (October - November 2020)
Permanent Installation, Group - Community Art Project, #LoveHillsborough Mosaic Project, Hillsborough, NC (November 2020)

2020 - 2023
Cancer #2. Boo. Immerse myself in local volunteering.
The Better Blood Project, supports and develops hematological-related programming for children, individuals, and their families who are diagnosed with a chronic blood disorder (Board member)
The Farm at Penny Lane, enhances the quality of life of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (Farm-to-home produce pack)
INKounter through Grow Your World, provides stability for teens through art (one-on-one mentor)
Pee Wee Homes, creates dignified, affordable, tiny homes in caring community for and with people transitioning out of homelessness (Mitchell site committee lead, Resident support committee lead)
University Presbyterian Church, believes that God is love and that love is for everyone (Appalachian Service Project, High school Sunday school teacher, Racial equity workshop, Refugee support, Small group content leader, Sticky Faith youth campaign, Youth sub-committee)

2024 - Present
Cancer #3. Diagnosed 01/2024. And… It’s terminal.

Love Letter Dolls launched!
Love Letter Dolls Etsy shop launched!

First and foremost:
So, so grateful for every single second spent with Bruce, Clive, Lois, and Rhett

Upon getting my diagnosis, in approximate chronological order, I savored:
• Celebrating Rhett (& his other buddies) at the Boy Scout Eagle Banquet
• Wearing a balloon crown around Southpoint Mall
• Thrilling that Lois and Rhett got into their top-choice universities
• Attending a Pee Wee Homes honoring
• Slowly hiking to Elephant Rock at the NC Botanical Garden with the kids
• Voting for the primaries
• Thrifting with my kiddos
• Watching the Oscars and having my family dress up in silly garb
• Being amazed by the Art in Bloom exhibit at the NCMA
• Our neighbors (thanks, Ryan!) delightfully putting up yard inflatables, one of the best being a friendly leprechaun
• Drag brunch at The Speakeasy
• The eclipse
• Heartfelt and funny stories told at the Monti StorySlam
• Watching Rhett slowly knit himself a sweater, blanket, and a large, black pig
• Taking solo day trips throughout NC & VA (Blue Ridge Parkway, OBX, Natural Bridge, Norfolk)
• Photographing Lois and Rhett with their pals for prom
• Cheering Rhett on at Ultimate tournaments
• Seeing Rhett take up volleyball as a senior
• Walking along the bridge to view the rushing Haw River
• Clive coming home to celebrate his 21st birthday with vegan wings (for him) at Heavenly Buffalos & then all sweating our tushes off while watching UNC baseball
• Unexpectedly encountering goslings at Lake Ellen
• Enjoying the creations Lois brought home from her high school ceramics class
• Joining Clive on his dog walking “Wag” jobs
• Top Golf with the family
• Handbell concert by the Raleigh Ringers
• Attending Rhett’s final Clambake for his Ultimate team, The Carrboro Clams
• R&L’s high school graduation
• Finally eating a Johnson’s burger in Siler City
• Driving through the Aloha Safari Park in Cameron
• Moving R&L into their dorms
• Having Bruce’s brother move from out of state to Winston-Salem - so great to have him be a bigger part of our lives!
• Spending time with Clive’s boyfriend, Matt’s, four dogs (Pancake, Dave, Pete, and Turtle)
• Visiting a dog show and a gun show on the same day
• Attending the Greensboro Folk Festival (and discovering Olive Klug and, through her, Creekbed Carter)
• Cheering at a Kamala rally
• Eating at a Snap Pea pop-up dinner
• Attending the Bach cantata series at Duke
• Being amazed by the Juniper Level Botanic Garden
• Spending downtime in Duke Gardens between appointments
• Making our way through many of the venue sites of the Carrboro Music Festival, and bumping into many friends along the way
• Being able to contribute supplies to those suffering in western NC from Hurricane Helene flooding
• When I’m feeling well, the satisfying feeling of cleaning the car at RipTide Carwash and Detailing. I can’t get enough of the compressed air feature
• Seeing swifts circle and then disappear into the Davie Poplar on UNC campus
• Driving up to Toronto to see Clive during peak fall foliage
• Sailing down the big slide, winning prizes, being mesmerized by a tuna presentation in the Gotta Be NC pavilion, and gorging on delectables – all at the NC State Fair
• Early voting with Rhett for the first time, despite the result
• Seeing a performance choreographed between a dancer and a robot
• Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area
• Singing with my church choir during the Advent season
• Cheering on the Greensboro Swarm
• Manicures with Lois
• Seeing another fave musician of ours, Kathleen Edwards, at Motorco
• Tallulah’s prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day
• Successfully baking no-knead bread
• Hanging lanterns around our front door for no reason
• Seeing the Leipzig, Germany Boys Choir perform at Duke Chapel
• Taking an improv class with a friend. Big shout-out to Improv for Confidence and Joy at The ArtsCenter, taught by Anoo. Every class was filled with true laughter, and I always left feeling lighter
• Donating household items to residents of two new Pee Wee Homes
• Enjoying the Poet’s Walk followed by Hillsborough Bake Shop
• Music at The Plant in Pittsboro
• Giving line dancing a whirl at a barn dance in the lovely and remote Julian, NC, to celebrate a friend’s birthday
• Being amazed by the drumming of our friends’ son at a School of Rock performance
• Hitting 125 m/hr on the Autobahn
• Commemorating 30 kick-ass years of marriage to Bruce
• Fish and Chips at Mel’s
• Celebrating Clive’s graduation from the University of Toronto and enjoying his friends and the city, and finally going to the Bata Shoe Museum
• Ballet Hispanico through the American Dance Festival
• Slowly making it to Lookout Rock in Montreat. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to the top. Rewarded with a breathtaking view of a strong, summer rain making its way over the mountains. And then with all the other hikers off the trail, enjoying the solitude of wet nature, even with thunder as our backdrop
• U-picking peaches and zinnias
• Delecting in the Dubai Shake from Shake Shack
• Seeing the kids experiment with recipes before moving into their own apartments
• Tomato Day at the Carrboro Farmers Market
• Getting to sing again with UPC choir during special summer Sundays
• Fun Raleigh outing day with the whole family - Brecotea, sunflowers, Gipson Play Plaza, Ebisu Life Store, Raleigh Farmers Market, H-Mart
• Bruce taking me to many experimental music/ dance performances that I would never pick out on my own
• Starting with delicious BBQ at Smokehouse at Steve’s, and then finally making it to a Burlington Sock Puppets baseball game
• Orange County Speedway, taking me back to memories of the Illiana Motor Speedway
• Helping to move all three kiddos into apartments
• The magnitude of delights that are at Organ Stop Pizza in AZ
• Soapbox Derby in Dix Park
• Enjoying cake (me) and a cocktail (Bruce) at Atlas Bar
• Having a fascinating conversation with interactive performance artist Avital Meshi. When wearing the ChatGPT apparatus, she states, “I don’t want to use it, I want to be it.”

Ongoing, I loved, loved, loved:
• Concerts: Rhett Miller, Ryan Adams, Stephen Page (via Zoom), Thee Sacred Souls, Kathleen Edwards, Old 97’s, Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson
• Creating Pendants, satisfying an always-present urge to make art
• Being moved by the Kenyan church services of one of my besties
• Any rainbows, sunrises, sunsets, or moonrises I was able to encounter
• Gathering ~monthly with the Orange County Death Cafe, a tender, honest, humorous bunch
• Rewatching Gilmore Girls and Ted Lasso
• Traveling!!! to cherish moments and share laughter with family and friends & having friends from out of state visit me (thank you!)
• ALL the delicious pies and cakes at New Hope Market
• Soaking in the sun on my Target Room Essentials Zero-Gravity Patio Lounger (highly recommend!)
• Immersing myself in nature, especially in my nearby retreat, Hidden Lake, whose path is home to my hugging tree
• Playing games with my family: gin rummy, euchre, Scrabble, Hitser
• Finding peace in Taize services and Won meditations
• Walking the flat paths around town, especially the Bolin Creek Trail, pre-Chantal
• Watching the neighborhood skater kid attempting and making tricks
• Visiting the tucked-away Southern Village cemetery
• Fireworks on the Fourth
• Durham Bulls games
• Attending small stand-up comedy nights (Lanza’s Cafe, ArtsCenter, Beer Study)
• Planting and pruning when able
• Taking in all the fabulous art museums in the area (Ackland, Nasher, NCMA)
• Basking in the sun at the Heritage Hills pool, where we’ve been members for over 10 years
• Ice cream (Chapel Chill, The Parlor, Jeni’s, Andia’s, DQ, Handel’s)
• Encountering butterflies and huge moths
• Yearly sculptures exhibited at the NC Botanical Garden
• Cheering on the Tar Heel football, basketball, & gymnastics teams
• Halloween: Carving pumpkins, roasting seeds, over-the-top decorations, and unplanned fun with neighbors enjoying the evening
• All-hands-on-deck Thanksgiving dinners
• Christmas tree selecting, walking within the abundant luminaries in Southern Village, cookie parties (really, all things Christmas)
• Staying up until midnight to ring in the New Year with all sorts of noise makers
• Making and getting essential snacks for the Super Bowl (wings are a must for Bruce)
• Dustings of snow & then more snow
• Palms waving at UPC
• Seeing springtime flowers blossoming & then, later, autumn leaves emerging
• Taking advantage of free NC Symphony and Chamber Music of the Triangle concerts in Southern Village
• Trying my best to see the humanity in all and seeking to make a positive impact on the lives I can

I read a bunch, here are some standouts:
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
• The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson (really any Kevin Fang book) (and then hearing him speak at Quail Ridge Books!)
• Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
• Imagine Heaven by John Burke
• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, self-published and recommended by a friend’s mom (usually detractors, ha, but truly worth the read

Just so ya’ll don’t think that dying of cancer is just fun & games, ha, here are a couple disappointments:
• All the time I spent in medical facilities. For good reasons, but there is a lot of waiting when you are a patient. On the flipside, I cherish the many connections I made with my doctors, nurses (I love nurses!), volunteers, and other patients & their families. Oh yeah, and there has been pain along the way, but that’s boring.
• Missing out on exercise. Running, road and mountain biking, and intense fitness classes (I love Cor4), were the first to go, eventually followed by longer walks and then not-so-long walks... But I’m grateful I took advantage of my healthy body throughout my years on earth (swimming, tennis, golfing, skiing, snowboarding, and, yes, even a bit of pickleball).

I didn’t get to:
I wrestled with the idea of becoming pen pals with a prisoner while I had a terminal diagnosis, and in the end, it was something I didn’t do. If you have even a smidgling of interest in such a thing, I was impressed by writeaprisoner.com.

And so, I will end with this African proverb: “When death comes to find you, may it find you alive.”

*** Eventually, this is where information about my death and funeral service will be posted. ***