In July, artist Anna Divinsky made our day by recounting how she wore her Trippen Schneckes to the opening of her Pittsburgh art exhibition, “Nests,” which featured work that grew out of her experiences as a Ukrainian immigrant. Here’s her lovely, sole-ful tale:

Last month I wore my brand new Trippen Silver Schneckes to the opening of “Nests,” my art exhibition at the American Jewish Museum, which is part of Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Center. The show examines the impact of immigration and migration on people’s lives and imagination. Being an immigrant who came to the States 16 years ago with my family from Ukraine, this was a great opportunity to share my experiences with the public and also to learn from their own stories and memories. The exhibit showcases my work and also the work of different age groups, such as local senior citizens, elementary school kids, and college students, each with their own perception of what immigration means to them. Images of nests, birds, eggs, and dollhouses were used as symbols for home, community, and family. This exhibit was intended to bring the Pittsburgh community together, reminding everyone of their own family roots and the nests they have built or will one day re-build with their families.

“Nests," exhibition by Anna Divinsky at the American Jewish Museum, Jewish Community Center, Pittsburgh, 2009. Right: Paintings on silk of nests and nest installation. Left: Installation close-up, Re-Collection 1993-2009, hand painted and heat-set silk.

As a young girl growing up in Ukraine, I had a very modest shoe selection. Wearing the Trippen Silver Schneckes was not only a fashion statement, but also a symbol of what I have accomplished living in the US. They were a huge hit at the opening, and their sculptural swirls were likened to some of the nest images. I could say that I was wearing my own little symbols of home. Thank you, Ped Shoes!

Anna looking lovely in her Trippen Schneckes. Below Right: Close-up of Trippen Schneckes. Bottom Left: Detail of a painting on silk depicting a nest. (See swirls in both?)

Wow, Anna, we are absolutely thrilled to have attended your opening via the Trippen Schneckes! What a wonderful show—congratulations! For making us smile the most in July, a Ped gift certificate for $100 is winging its way to you.

Do you have a Tale of the Sole? Tell us—and show us (we LOVE pictures!!!)—what happened to you while wearing a Ped item, and you, too, might be the recipient of $100 in Ped credit. Each month we pick the most sole-ful tale to share on the blog. So, let us know what in the world you’ve been doing in your Ped!

Hey Ped:

It’s been a while since I set off on my “Adventures with Harriet,” but since she’s been browsing through your new Trippen styles and catching up on the blog, I thought I’d tell you about a near disaster that happened to me over a year ago.

In the fall of 2007, I found myself on Harriet’s feet A LOT! (That woman wears me everywhere.) But one night she laced me up to install a piece she made for an outdoor art exhibition called “Let There Be Light” that celebrated the Winter Solstice (sorry, she didn’t take any pics of her piece). Of course, she wanted to wander around to see the other artists’ work. Well, one piece by Bree and Geoff Luck involved ice candles, which they invited visitors to place along a path.

Constellation - Bree and Geoff Luck (Photograph by Rosita Gonzalez)

Harriet decided to take her candle a little ways off the beaten trail, not realizing that a small ravine was waiting in the dark. Suddenly, we were stumbling and falling with FIRE about to slip out of her hands! Yikes! Harriet was trippin’ in her Trippen! Fortunately, I’m pretty reliable, so I got us stopped—no burns on the skin, no flames in the brush! Whew. But I did come out of it with a few permanent scars that show how I suffer for Harriet’s love of art. Here I am chilling at home, fully recovered:

But let’s take a closer look at my left side:

Harriet says she thinks it makes me look more interesting (something about “rugged beauty”). I’m just glad she gave me a break in 2008 and wore her worn-out hiking boots for her recent installation in the woods. Her photographer friend, Stacey Evans, took an image of her piece, “The Waiting Room”:

The Waiting Room — Harriet Arthur (Photograph by Stacey Evans)

Hope the hiking boots had fun dragging chairs through the trees! Me, I was glad to sit this one out at home.

Say hey to all the shoes for me,

Harriet’s Liebchens, Charlottesville, VA