Carpenter Award 2021 – Arts and Culture El Dorado

Normadene Carpenter Award 2021

HONORING LEXI BOEGER

Co-chairs Paul and Maggie Bush and Tom Heflin and Christa Campbell

Thursday, November 4, 2021 ▪ 6:00 – 8:00 pm ▪ Boeger Winery

Lexi Boeger, Placerville native and member of the celebrated Boeger winemaking family, received the 2021 Carpenter Award on November 4, at Boeger Winery. The award, which honors culture and creativity, is presented annually by Arts and Culture El Dorado; past recipients include philanthropist Normadene Carpenter (for whom the award is named), architect Charlie Downs, high school drama teacher Paul Tomei, winemaker Richard Bush, visual artist Joey Cattone, theater artist Lanny Langston, and nature devotee Jane Van Camp.

The 2021 event was co-chaired by Paul and Maggie Bush of Madroña Vineyards, and Tom Heflin and Christa Campbell of Rainbow Orchards.

“Lexi Boeger is the ideal choice for the award this year,” states Arts and Culture Executive Director Terry LeMoncheck. “As an artist, author, winemaker, and passionate public citizen, she embodies the trail-blazing culture of El Dorado County. Lexi’s commitment to the community is evident in all she does and we are honored to be celebrating her achievements.”

The event was held on Thursday, November 4, at 6:00 pm, at Boeger Winery, where guests from around the County gathered for music and locally sourced hors d’oeuvres by Table Nectar paired with wines from the region, including some of the County’s most visionary winemakers. Proceeds from the event supported the ongoing public programs and services of Arts and Culture El Dorado, which include programs for veterans, young people, foster parents, artists and arts organizations, and the community at large.

The occasion also offered guests a preview of plans for the new Center for Arts and Agriculture, to be located on Main Street in Placerville in the former D.A. Annex building. The venue will feature a teaching kitchen and rooftop garden, and the space is seen as a gateway for agritourism and an educational resource for the community. As event co-chair Christa Campbell notes, "Our El Dorado County Chamber Ag Council motto states, 'Our Culture is Agriculture' and art and agriculture are a perfect fit."

For more information contact Jordan Hyatt-Miller at jordan@artsandcultureeldorado.org.

About Lexi

Artist, writer, teacher, yarn-spinner (fiber and fiction), fly-fisher, designer and master of obscure crafts and forgotten pastimes. Lexi took a BA of Fine Arts from UC Davis and didn't apply it to any kind of useful career path. Instead she stepped off of a foundation in the arts onto a meandering and kaleidoscopic path that led to graphics and tech training in the unforgiving internet bubble of 2000's Silicon Valley, a fly-fishing and guide school for women called Fly-Girls, a blog before there were blogs called Marsha Hubert where email lists were blasted with uninvited recipes after "Marsha" had had a few cocktails, a random fascination with fiber and yarn spinning that turned into a 15 year long international career of teaching really "wrong" spinning techniques to traditional crafters, blowing minds with just how liberating the creative process can be- especially when introduced to areas where it is not allowed. This is the thread that connects Lexi's contributions; apply the creative process and creative liberty to all things, especially things that are stuck or need growth: students, business, politics and policy (especially!). Lexi volunteers her time to mentor and teach art (or anything) to kids and young adults knowing that they are going to do things so much more awesomely than we can and signs up for all the boards where she feels like she can shake things up for the positive. She served on the board of the El Dorado Winery Association for eight years, most recently as President, and is currently working on economic development issues for CEDAC and on local housing initiatives for Housing El Dorado. Brand builder, product designer and entrepreneur, Lexi has published four books; three creative process books and one novel about fly-fishing chicks and ghosts in Mother Lode wine-country (a total fiction). She also has a line of designer dessert wine. She has no business card. You might be able to hire her for something, it might not be what you expect.

Bibliography:

Handspun Revolution, 2005, Pluckyfluff Press
Intertwined, The Art of Handspun Yarn, 2008, Quarry/Rockport Publishers
Handspun, New Spins on Traditional Techniques, 2012, Quarry/Rockport Publishers
Not Lost For Lookin', 2013, LULU Press