Mayor Kim Bergel unveiled her selections for the coveted titles of Artist of the Year and Business of the Year at last night’s Eureka City Council meeting. 

Out of the dozen artists and businesses selected for monthly recognition by the city’s Arts and Culture Commission and Economic Development Commission, Bergel got to hand-pick her personal favorites: multi-media artist Becky Evans and the Spa at Personal Choice in Old Town.

Becky Evans | Screenshot

Many of our readers will recognize Evans as the creative mind behind “30,000 Salmon,” a collaborative art installation first assembled in 2002 to commemorate the devastating Klamath River fish kill that left more than 30,000 salmon dead. (Later counts estimated that as many as 100,000 salmon died in the ecological disaster.) The installation reemerged at Morris Graves Museum in 2023 to celebrate dam removal on the Klamath River. 

“I remember when I first saw your Waterlines Project,” Bergel said, referring to Evans’ series on drought in California. “It just had this incredible impact on me [and] a sense of spiritual connection. … Thank you so much for all you do for our community and for our environment.”

Speaking at last night’s meeting, Evans thanked Bergel and the city council for the “very unexpected honor” and underscored the importance of the arts. “I really believe strongly that arts can bring people together.”

“I can see how art transforms people’s lives,” she continued. “People think, ‘Well, it’s just kind of an extra thing. It’s an add-on. It’s nice, but how does it really make a difference in people’s lives?’ I can tell you from my own experience in seeing the many, many children and students from pre-school all the way up through graduate school … their lives were impacted. … It does transform people’s lives and brings us together.”

Susan Santsche | Screenshot

Bergel also took a moment to highlight Susan Santsche, owner of the Spa at Personal Choice. Bergel commended Santsche, a breast cancer survivor, for having the remarkable ability to “take lemons and turn them into lemonade.”

“She spearheaded the effort to get 3-D mammography technology here in Humboldt and has undoubtedly saved many lives in our community,” Bergel said. “You’ve guided your business through the pandemic with grace. … It is truly an honor to know you and to celebrate you.”

Santsche thanked Bergel for the heartfelt acknowledgment and underscored the importance of community resilience. “I think Humboldt has something really great to offer because out of your greatest weakness comes your greatest strength,” she said. “When you don’t have everything given to you, you have to go out and create it.”