Created by Local Artist, Krista Riihimaki to Support the Kirkwood Volunteer Fire Department New Engine Fund.

Completed June 16, 2021

Framed Original Painting from Local Artist, Krista Riihimaki, White Poppy Media LLC.

Acrylic on Canvas

Size:  22 inches by 28 inches

"Cliffs + Clouds"

Krista Riihimaki: Artist Biography

Krista Riihimaki is a modern-day Renaissance woman with myriad talents in both art and science. She was born and raised in the South Shore of Massachusetts, where she attended Montessori Schools through middle school and then transferred to the local public school. She was elected to represent her town at "Art-All State" presented by the Worcester Art Museum, and attended the Rhode Island School of Designs Pre-College program, where she majored in oil painting. The local chamber of commerce exhibited her work in a traveling art show throughout the South Shore. Many of her pieces remain displayed in a permanent collection at Norwell High School. She also embarked on numerous wilderness expeditions with Hurricane Island Outward Bound throughout her high school years, eventually working with them as a logistician.

She earned her B.A. in Biological Sciences, minor in Marine Science & Policy, and received the Five College Coastal and Marine Sciences Certificate. Krista spent a summer semester with the National Outdoor Wilderness School in Alaska, where she learned how to guide whitewater rafting, fly fishing, backpacking, and sea-kayak expeditions. She also studied at the School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies.

After working for several years as a Divemaster in Hawaii, Krista continued her studies at the University of San Diego, earning a Master's in Teaching and Curriculum, which focused primarily on Montessori education for children aged zero through six. She went on to earn her adolescent teaching certification and taught toddlers, preschool, and middle school in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Krista founded White Poppy Media in 2015, intending to deliver more art and science into the world. Her documentary Child, Disrupted (26 mins, 2018) has screened for communities worldwide and earned Best Documentary Short at its premiere at the California Independent Film Festival, among many others. The film remains relevant, as the subject focuses on the effects of technology overuse on children’s development.

She is inspired to create meaningful works of art that serve the double purpose of inspiring change and appreciating the beauty of our natural world. Krista loves to paint, but she doesn't limit herself and likes to dabble in many mediums. She believes that art can take place in many forms, and she is constantly observing the natural beauty of the world around her and looking for ways to share that beauty with others. Krista currently resides between Kirkwood and San Francisco, California, and is so grateful for the opportunity to share her work with the Kirkwood community to support the Volunteer Fire Department.

Plan to pick up the items you won on Sunday, July 4, 2021 between the hours of 9 am to 11 am.  The location for Curbside Pick-up is 33540 Loop Road at the Community Services Building.

Auction items containing alcohol must be picked up no later than July 15, 2021.  Please bring your ID when picking these up.

If you are not in Kirkwood your items will be stored at the Community Services Building until September 4, 2021.  Please email JGillies@kmpud.com to arrange for a date and time for pick up.

Small items such as Gift Cards will be mailed to you at your residence address after July 5, 2021.

Thank you for supporting the Kirkwood Volunteer Fire Department!