“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”
This famous quote from Lady Bird Johnson was the inspiration for “Bloom,” a gorgeous life-size bronze sculpture created by Angela Mia De la Vega. The statue will be unveiled on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at a dedication and celebration ceremony on the top of EmilyAnn Theater’s Veteran Memorial Hill. The entire Wimberley community is invited to this moving recognition of the power of art to heal.
“Bloom” has been generously donated to the EmilyAnn Theatre and Garden by Angela Mia De la Vega, Pitzer’s Fine Arts, and Pitzer’s manager Pamela Rudd, in memory of several lives tragically lost in 2020, 2021 and 2022 by the family of Wimberley resident MaryMichael Rogers.
The Rogers family has been beset by a series of losses that is almost impossible to fathom. Their story and resilience in the face of repeated tragedy gives yet another meaning to the words, “Wimberley Strong.”
MaryMichael’s daughter Jessica Allyson Page, born October 26, 1979, and granddaughter, Sophia Jolie Christian, born April 24, 2013, died in a fire on April 8, 2021. Her stepson Whitney Rogers, who she had helped raise since the age of eight, passed away in November of 2021 after battling a short illness. Her nephew Derick Biggs, son of Jessica’s older sister Jennifer Biggs, lost his life in a hunting accident in November 2020. Jessica is survived by her son Evan Kinney.
A family beset by early tragedy, Jennifer’s twin sister had died at eighteen months of age while sitting on her mother’s lap when a stray firework hit her, severely burning MaryMichael herself. A Christian singer, she prayed to heal enough to sing again, and later went on to record four albums. MaryMichael tragically lost her husband Jack Rogers from an automobile accident this past March 23, just one month before their 23rd wedding anniversary.
Jessica Page and EmilyAnn Rollins, daughter of EmilyAnn Theater founders Ann and Norm Rollins, were best friends from their earliest days and grew up together. They were inseparable until EmilyAnn’s fatal car accident on December 21, 1996, an event which devastated Jessica and their classmates and shook the whole community.
According to Ann Rollins, the girls were inseparable.
“They were like fairies, light and beautiful, often barefoot, playing all day in Wimberley’s fields, climbing her hills and swimming in her rivers. Jessica called me ‘Mama Ann,’ and I thought of her as ‘my Jessica,’ with the wisdom of an old soul. Of course, she and all the kids in their class have remained very close. Her sweet daughter Sophia was always creating butterfly art for me. I hope many of the girls’ classmates will come to the unveiling of ‘Bloom,’ which will truly be a celebration and tribute to Jessica, little Sophia and all these remarkable lives.”
In seeking a fitting memorial for the family, the fairy-like “Bloom,” emerging from a flower with her joyful expression and wide-open arms, was the perfect choice. Angela first visited the Veteran’s Memorial hilltop several years ago and immediately recognized it as a sacred spot. Inspired by the family’s heartrending story, she was delighted to gift “Bloom” to the Wimberley community in such a stunning location, as a tribute to the Rogers family and a comfort and inspiration to all who will come and visit her on the hilltop.
Angela Mia De la Vega is an award-winning sculptor, whose popular work is on display at Pitzer’s Fine Art and other galleries. Angela was very moved upon hearing of MaryMichael’s many loses. A mother herself, she has donated “Bloom” in memory of lives lost and be uplifting to all who visit Memorial Hill.
In talking about this sculpture, Angela says, “As a tribute to my mother, an avid gardener, I sculpted ‘Bloom.’ Because of her unwavering love and support, I still identify with the little girl thriving within the glorious iris flower and reaching with joy to the sunshine. I hope others will see themselves in her, too, and feel inspired to open their hearts to their world of possibilities.”
According to Ann, MaryMichael shares Angela’s sentiment about the sacred nature of the Veteran’s Memorial Hill. She finds solace in the view of Old Baldy, where the children would go to hike. It’s the natural home for this monument and a perfect tribute to the power of life even the face of tragedy.
