Brandee Hughes wants the world to see the incredible art created by her uncle, Amos Beaida.
Following his death in March 2009, Hughes, 26, became the curator of Beaida’s collection of intricately designed geometric drawings.
Now she’s seeking venues to showcase the works created by the former Weimar resident.
Born in Auburn, Beaida lived in the foothills until 1978 when he moved to Oregon and Texas, finally settling in Idaho where he spent his last years.
A self-taught artist, the 49-year-old man started drawing when he was in his late teens.
Over time he developed a unique style of overlapping geometric designs. He started with the border and worked his way inward creating tiny circles with fine felt-tip pens. Each piece, typically 8-inches by 10-inches, took an average of 60 to 70 hours to complete, Hughes said.
What makes Beaida’s later works even more incredible, Hughes noted, is that her uncle lost vision in his left eye in 2002 due to AIDS-related CMV Retinitis.
The following year, his design entitled “Crazy Eights” received an Award of Merit at the national Visual AIDS ‘Share Your Vision’ competition.
In addition to having his work on display in a Manhattan gallery, Beaida won a trip to New York and $2,500 in cash as well as a matching donation to the charity of his choice, Hughes said. He selected S.N.A.P., an organization that provides food to needy individuals.
“He wasn’t able to work, so he wasn’t able to buy food for himself,” she said. “It was important to him that people have food to eat.”
Infected with AIDS, Beaida became more and more reclusive as the years wore on. Except for the piece in the national contest, he only shared his work with family members and friends.
“He always wanted to share his art – to get his art out there,” the Alta resident said. “He told my mom he wanted me to carry on his dream.”
Also an artist, Hughes is now working to insure her uncle’s talent will be remembered and cherished.
She has established Famous Amos Designs, a Web site offering high-quality giclee prints of his work.
In addition, she arranged for an exhibition of his art at the Harvey Milk Photo Center in San Francisco last November and at the Axis Gallery in Sacramento in December.
This month, she’s bringing his work home. Twenty of Beaida’s work will be on display through the end of the month at the Old Pharmacy Coffee House, 30 No. Main St.
A reception is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday. A selection of prints – matted and packaged – will also be on sale.
“I’ve donated prints to the Grass Valley Rotary Club for their upcoming Casino Night,” she said, adding another of his prints netted more than $5,000 during a benefit for the AIDS organization in San Francisco.
Hughes also envisions publishing a book featuring his story and a compilation of his creations.
“Each is so different, so unique,” Hughes said, adding the designs range from stars to crosses to rainbows. “A lot of the time he didn’t know how it was going to start out. He’d just start with the edges and work his way in to the middle.”
While she may be focused on showcasing her uncle’s art, Hughes isn’t losing sight of her own art career.
“I’ve done every kind of art you can imagine, but my favorite is photography, particularly wildlife,” she said. “My art is quite a bit different ”
For now, though, she’s intent on using her skills to keep her uncle’s legacy alive.
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Tribute to Amos Beaida
What: Art work by former Weimar resident
When: Reception from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Old Pharmacy Coffee House, 30 No. Main St.