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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

Going for It

Mesa woman goes from multiple careers to teaching other seniors

BY CONNOR DZIAWURA Sure enough, she at one

When Mesa’s Marge Draeger point wound up fronting a saw something she was interfour-piece country rock band, ested in, she just went for it. Rex Critter, the name of which

Now 68, it’s that instinct that was partially inspired by counhas led her down such a vartry musician Tex Ritter but also ied path in life, which includes by Truck Shackley & the Texas dairy farming, singing for a Critters, a puppet band from country-rock band, teaching the ‘80s television series “Barcollege-level computer probara Mandrell and the Mangramming and now working drell Sisters.” as a guide for GetSetup. “We were very, very popu

The latter is a new platform lar in the Wisconsin tri-state through which retired educaarea—Wisconsin, Minnesota, tors and experts lead coursIllinois—but mostly Wiscones—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 skills. Courses vary from how to computer programming instructor. (Photo by Pablo Robles) Friday, Saturday, Sunday—and use different devices, apps, software and calls “a little more advanced, maybe, than we spent about eight hours a week pracwebsites to simply crafting quick meals. just early beginner stuff.” ticing, working up new numbers. So it As Draeger puts it, courses are “geared “I wrote one for Google Photos, which was pretty much part time.” toward helping seniors remain vital in the is, I think, an awesome app for people Despite her farming days and time workplace.” who might lose their phone and don’t spent as a musician, computer program

She found out the hard way that sewant to lose their pictures or whatever,” ming is “just something that’s in my niors can have difficulty finding jobs, reshe adds. bones,” she notes. She describes having gardless of resume. Classes are not prerecorded; they’re taught for Wisconsin’s Northcentral Tech

“Once I moved to Arizona, I did hit live so as to best help students, she specnical 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. me for anything except maybe a greeter available at getsetup.io/schedule. “Back in the ‘80s, when people were at Walmart,” she says. “So it does exist, Draeger comes to GetSetup with a dihearing about the internet, I was one of and it doesn’t matter what your IQ is or verse background. the ground-floor people developing. I what your background says. If you have When she was 18 in Wisconsin, for extaught myself to develop website progray hair, you might just as well not ask. ample, she married a dairy farmer. She regramming 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 thought that really existed.” she estimates at around 250 acres and a teach at the college level even though

Based out of San Francisco, GetSetcouple 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. COVID-19 pandemic. With mass stay-atsupport a family including four children. “Somebody has to start that; somebody home orders several months back, Drae“In Wisconsin, dairy farming has always has to get those first degrees out there; ger feels she has noticed a quick pivot been a really expensive hobby. And if and that was one of the things I did, and from paid classes to more free offerings. somebody doesn’t work out and work full I loved it.”

She has taught numerous subjects, intime and have health insurance through In recent years, she has continued on 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 need to know about Medicare. The latter, seek a college degree. GetSetup through an AARP listing. she clarifies, is not advice or a sales pitch; She has a musical side as well. “I feel like when I saw something I rather, it’s education on important infor“When I was a child, we had one of wanted to do, I went for it—I did it,” Draemation some people lack. those huge wooden cabinets that played ger emphasizes. “And if I were to give ad

“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 muto do this, do it. Because the only regret own experiences. sic—and I just loved it,” she recalls. “My you’ll have when you’re 68 is, ‘I wish I had

She also mentions starting new classdad always said, ‘She’s going to be a singtried that.’” es with PowerPoint and Excel, which she er someday.’” For more information, visit getsetup.io. AUGUST 2020 | 9