Metal...continued from page 8 improve their living spaces. “So many people are at home, analyzing what they want to do at their house. They have more time to think about it and will act on a project they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Moore says. For his public art projects, he has worked with libraries, schools, parks, city governments and businesses. Recently, he created tree-themed artwork for Emerson Elementary School in Phoenix. Throughout the years, Moore has worked with clients in different parts of the country. In Oklahoma, he developed a kinetic piece called Bee-52, a hybrid insect/airplane inspired by different themes within the area. In his work, Moore has often been inspired by nature, especially the Sonoran Desert landscape. Although his work still features botanical elements, he also creates more abstract, geometric pieces. He started to go in this direction with “Ellipses,” a piece he created for Miller Plaza in Scottsdale. He was chosen to create the work of art for IN FLUX, a program in which artists develop public art for different municipalities. “It represented particles of space, how things gravitate to and are repelled from one another, and how that mirrors society. It’s very abstract, but I think that was the genesis of me moving towards more geometric composition,” Moore says. Owning a business is never easy, and making a go of Oxide hasn’t come without its challenges. When the Moores started Oxide, they sacrificed retirements, savings, investments and a weekly paycheck. They had one daughter at home and two in college at the time. Moore says they committed to the company and continued to expand it. Although there have been some financial struggles over the years, Moore says being his own boss, able to create on his own terms, has made it worth it. Even through difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Moores have supported their family through art. “I think the key to our success is we are diverse. We do public art, practical art, custom projects,” Moore says.
Daniel Moore
theoxidestudio.com
www.LovinLife.com
Going for It Mesa woman goes from multiple careers to teaching other seniors BY CONNOR DZIAWURA
Sure enough, she at one point wound up fronting a When Mesa’s Marge Draeger four-piece country rock band, saw something she was interRex Critter, the name of which ested in, she just went for it. was partially inspired by counNow 68, it’s that instinct that try musician Tex Ritter but also has led her down such a varby Truck Shackley & the Texas ied path in life, which includes Critters, a puppet band from dairy farming, singing for a the ‘80s television series “Barcountry-rock band, teaching bara Mandrell and the Mancollege-level computer prodrell Sisters.” gramming and now working “We were very, very popuas a guide for GetSetup. lar in the Wisconsin tri-state The latter is a new platform area—Wisconsin, Minnesota, through which retired educaIllinois—but mostly Wiscontors and experts lead courses—many of which are free— Mesa’s Marge Draeger, who works as a guide for GetSetup, teaching seniors modern sin,” she continues. “We only that re-train seniors in modern skills like Zoom, was previous a dairy farmer, country-rock singer and college-level played, like, weekends—so computer programming instructor. (Photo by Pablo Robles) Friday, Saturday, Sunday—and skills. Courses vary from how to use different devices, apps, software and calls “a little more advanced, maybe, than we spent about eight hours a week practicing, working up new numbers. So it websites to simply crafting quick meals. just early beginner stuff.” “I wrote one for Google Photos, which was pretty much part time.” As Draeger puts it, courses are “geared Despite her farming days and time toward helping seniors remain vital in the is, I think, an awesome app for people who might lose their phone and don’t spent as a musician, computer programworkplace.” She found out the hard way that se- want to lose their pictures or whatever,” ming is “just something that’s in my bones,” she notes. She describes having niors can have difficulty finding jobs, re- she adds. Classes are not prerecorded; they’re taught for Wisconsin’s Northcentral Techgardless of resume. “Once I moved to Arizona, I did hit live so as to best help students, she spec- nical College but also managing its web that gray wall. Nobody wanted to hire ifies. A schedule of upcoming offerings is servers and writing its websites. “Back in the ‘80s, when people were me for anything except maybe a greeter available at getsetup.io/schedule. Draeger comes to GetSetup with a di- hearing about the internet, I was one of at Walmart,” she says. “So it does exist, the ground-floor people developing. I and it doesn’t matter what your IQ is or verse background. When she was 18 in Wisconsin, for ex- taught myself to develop website prowhat your background says. If you have gray hair, you might just as well not ask. ample, she married a dairy farmer. She re- gramming and make websites without a It’s so frustrating, and I never would have calls having a “decent” plot of land, which degree, which is why in the ‘90s I could she estimates at around 250 acres and a teach at the college level even though thought that really existed.” Based out of San Francisco, GetSet- couple hundred head of cattle. But while there were no degrees available yet— up was founded in 2019—before the she loved it, she says it was difficult to because there were none,” she explains. “Somebody has to start that; somebody COVID-19 pandemic. With mass stay-at- support a family including four children. “In Wisconsin, dairy farming has always has to get those first degrees out there; home orders several months back, Draeger feels she has noticed a quick pivot been a really expensive hobby. And if and that was one of the things I did, and somebody doesn’t work out and work full I loved it.” from paid classes to more free offerings. In recent years, she has continued on She has taught numerous subjects, in- time and have health insurance through cluding how to use video conferencing work, you’re going to starve to death,” with various other jobs and relocated technology Zoom as well as what people she admits, noting it as an inspiration to to Arizona—which ultimately led her to GetSetup through an AARP listing. need to know about Medicare. The latter, seek a college degree. “I feel like when I saw something I She has a musical side as well. she clarifies, is not advice or a sales pitch; “When I was a child, we had one of wanted to do, I went for it—I did it,” Draerather, it’s education on important inforthose huge wooden cabinets that played ger emphasizes. “And if I were to give admation some people lack. “It’s things you don’t know and you 78 RPM records, and you would wind it vice to a young person today—I did this, have no way to know unless someone up—you didn’t plug it in—and I would I said this to my 18-year-old granddaughtells you, because the Medicare site is just stand there and sing along with my mom ter—don’t let what you think somebody a puzzle,” she says, acknowledging it was country music records—the really old else expects hold you back. If you want a passionate subject to her due to her Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, really old mu- to do this, do it. Because the only regret sic—and I just loved it,” she recalls. “My you’ll have when you’re 68 is, ‘I wish I had own experiences. She also mentions starting new class- dad always said, ‘She’s going to be a sing- tried that.’” es with PowerPoint and Excel, which she er someday.’” For more information, visit getsetup.io. AUGUST 2020
|
9
