Who is a Cooperator?
They are people in our community that:
✔ Bring people together
✔ Explore common values
✔ Create a sense of community
✔ Publicly share their knowledge, wisdom, and skills in the community
✔ Improve the quality of life in Whatcom County
By Amanda Grelock, Co-op staff and friend and colleague of Kristina
January 2019
Not many people can move to a new place and build a strong community in a short amount of time, which says a lot about a person’s magnetism. In 2015, Kristina Lee Podesva moved to Bellingham from San Francisco with hopes to make a positive and impactful change on a local level and has done so by founding BRUNA press + archive located at 221 Prospect Street.
to make a positive and impactful change on a local level
Kristina is an artist, writer, editor, and teacher. Her vision for how to show up in community is inspiring because it weaves in art, culture, community action, and collective wisdom. She is a powerful member in our community who holds space for the unspoken and unsung stories that reflect our larger worlds.
Kristina is an artist, writer, editor, and teacher.
The mission of BRUNA press + archive, as stated on their website, is to “host and create unanticipated cultural conversations.” At BRUNA you can attend a host of public events such as artist talks and performances, explore the public archive, or sit in the reading space untangling the intersection of art and writing. Building community is the heart of BRUNA, and that is why so much time is spent hosting artist retreats and residencies.
Cooperation and community is at the core of what Kristina brings to BRUNA press + archive, which then ripples throughout Bellingham. To quote Kristina’s reflection on prioritizing collective wisdom, “For once can we step away from the ladder of knowledge and sip from the collective soup of wisdom.” Keep an eye out for the events that BRUNA will be hosting that reflect the sentiments of that quote.
To give you a taste of BRUNA’s genius, attend an ongoing monthly full moon gathering led by Lummi Elder William John X’welwelat’se titled Coast Salish Concepts of Time + Space. The series received partial support from a 2017 Co-op Member Affairs Committee grant.
Kristina’s vision and passion have brought so many people together
Kristina’s vision and passion have brought so many people together, and we cannot say enough about her or her work. That is why she is a perfect community member to receive the 2018 Cooperator Award.
