Brian D'Ambrosio is a writer/editor living in Missoula.

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Shalene Valenzuela’s ceramic and porcelain art provides much to ponder.

For starters, within her pieces lurks a mild – and at times not so lenient – criticism of
consumption modes, consumerism, societal expectations, etiquette, and delineated
gender roles.

In addition to these themes, her sculptures prod fun at our society’s pervasive
construction of nostalgia as yet another form of relentless consumption.

“A lot of the imagery I’ve pulled from dated sources,” says Valenzuela. “It comes
from the era my mother and grandparents grew up in, from old photos, magazines
and yearbooks, and the advertising of the social, political events of their days. It all
seems so innocent, but that is so far from the truth.”

Through the hand-painting or screen-pressing of symbols, faces, and imagery on
thin, fragile objects, Valenzuela exposes contradictions in advertising, culture, and
society. Beneath the shiny veneer we see that the world is a perpetual caricature
of itself; every moment discloses the contradiction of what we pretend to be. She
understands that the world is a charming inconsistency and that every time we
take a step forward that we, in truth, revert back to the same primitive habits and
patterns. We are programmed that way, we are not only constructed to stand in
opposition to our own selves, but to philosophize our daily conflicts.

What Shalene’s art does so well is to rein in that ambiguity and repetition, or, at very
least, sleekly push those forces out into the open. Indeed, the action taking place in
her narratives relates to “a pattern,” says Valenzuela, “a rut in life,” something we
replicate on a daily basis and do so unquestioningly.

Since much of her imagery is culled from “dated” sources, we see “an idealized
time” in society and advertising. We see fashionable clothing, cookbooks, trendy
hair styles, the latest cosmetics and appliances, the staid pursuit of the inanimate;
the decadent swamp of consumerism bogging citizens down; cosmetics covering
up self-hatred. Valenzuela’s eschews the notion that we must be forced to equate
products and services with our human well-being. And she exposes the roots,
origins, and perhaps (hopefully) the zenith of this madness.

Jabbing holes at fairytales and urban myths through the faces of smiley, yet unhappy
ladies from a Time magazine Tupperware ad may seem a bit brusque to some eyes.
But, in actuality, a variety of women’s issues are executed with a jokey, often ironic
tone.

“It has more to do with the expression and glances on the faces of those painted and
what’s being implied by the actions,” says Valenzuela, who currently serves as the
director at the Clay Studio of Missoula and teaches at Flathead Valley Community
College. “I hope that the imagery of that old advertising captivates, but I would also
like the viewer to investigate more, to investigate those things that you can’t tell or
know from afar.”
 

Shalene’s work is aesthetically beautiful– pretty telephones, seemingly delicate
clay hammers and boards, but it also has a lot of depth, for her pieces explore the
interaction of humanity, nature, and mystery. Everything we see hides another
thing, and we want to see what is hidden by what we see.

While the issues she explores generally delve into the very tangible psychology of
self-esteem and self-perception, she knows full well that true art evokes a feeling of
mystery – a mystery without which the world as a collective entity would not exist.
Her illustrations and their sense of seriousness are real; the attitude or identity of
the subject is guesswork.

To Shalene, art is the practice of supplying content and thought, a method of
provoking a substantive discussion of earlier times and a way to better comprehend
the generally accepted behaviors of the present. It is her way of halting what never
stays still, of pinning down the elusive foe called time.

Valenzuela says, “Really, the art you see comes down to a moment in time, a moment
in time with an implied past and an implied future, which gives the viewer a hint
into the patterns of life. I hope there is more to it than at first glance. In the end, I
hope my art evokes questions about those patterns of life.”

Brian D'Ambrosio is a writer/editor living in Missoula. 

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Not many put in the effort to create experiences that leave others – and themselves – in awe. Far fewer believe in the power of their own capacity to turn an ordinary life into a human highlight reel. 

It is not the fear of ennui or indifference, yet something else so very insatiable that drives people like Carol Hedges. Hedges recently returned from England with a silver medal from a three day World Cup Taekwondo contest. For three days, she fought at 121 pounds, in a division of 10 women, between the ages 36 to 45.

Competition was formidable: 1,650 combatants from 46 countries. At 45, Hedges was the oldest in her category and to qualify for Team USA she had to compete year-round against women of all ages, a true test of her abilities.

Hedges missed the gold medal by one point, losing to a woman from Belgium with a smart, defensive fighting style. The elusive Belgian got ahead early on points, scrambled around more like a marathoner than a martial artist, and steered clear of Hedges. (Standing kicks, punches and jump kicks are all tallied on the point scoring system. To fight for gold, fighters battled without chest protection for two rounds, three minutes in length, with a single minute of rest in between.)

The lone point separating gold from silver was surprisingly inconsequential, for whether she’d won or lost Hedges had already achieved her goal – and, in the process, greatness. On the flight back home, the sense of elation was so thick that it overtook Hedges. 

“It was an honor for a number of reasons,” says Hedges. “It was an honor to have my mom there. It was a blessing and an honor for me to be able to be there to represent the United States. It was huge for me. I’ve come back with lots of knowledge.”

For Hedges, the experience validated a long career of reddened faces, solid contact, and the deep thump-thump of steady punishment. “I’ve come full-circle in my fighting career,” says Hedges. “I started out in Taekwondo in 1992. Going to the World Cup, it’s been a lifelong process, a road of personal journey and preparation. That was my last fight.”

Thick and solid, with a sharp set of fighter’s eyes, Hedges is proof that the starting point of all achievement is desire. The Missoula native has battled as a kickboxer (3-0), and was a professional boxer for seven years (17-4), even fighting on a George Foreman undercard as part of an exhibition bout; she returned to Clinton, where she attended grade school, to open her own martial arts studio called “Spirit Tae Kwon-Do.”  At slightly more than 5 feet tall, she is a self-defined aggressive fighter, a tough gal who likes sparring and the grit of training, the taped hands, the exhaustion of pushing herself, of battling through the pain of broken bones and bruises. Yes, she will miss all these things, but she has no problem walking away from competition, to better focus on her gym, her students, and other personal goals.

“Absolutely, I’ll miss it. It’s been my life. I’m a fighter. I love it. That’s my heart. It’s who I am.”

Hedges isn’t a natural-born fighter; a series of personal problems two decades ago pushed her in that direction. She came to the realization that if there was no struggle, then there would be no progress.  Yet, it was the chance meeting with Master (Fabian) Nunez, a world champion kickboxer, in a Texas gym that galvanized the fighting sentiment. “When I first walked in there, I was nervous, meek and self-conscious. I realized fast that I liked hitting the heavy bag, liked releasing my frustrations in a positive way.”

Since then, she has compiled a long list of accomplishments, including a regional boxing championship in 2004 and a 3rd Degree Black Belt (2010). Her heart, however, is rooted in the tiny town of Clinton, Montana, and the kids in the community need her, her work ethic, and her studio; focused on the spirituality and intellectuality of the martial arts, Hedges provides a structured outlet that teaches pupils the tenets of self-discipline and  self-respect, and reverence for the sanctity of their own bodies.

As an instructor, Hedges is a good example of how change brings opportunity and that we all have big changes in our lives that are more or less second chances.  

“Taekwondo has made so many changes in my life,” says Hedges. “It has made me a strong, strong person. The journey was life-changing. I want to teach kids that they have control of their own destiny.”

Pablo Picasso once said, "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." Carol Hedges’ path has been marked not only by perseverance and learning, but a commitment to setting goals and not sacrificing tomorrow for the lethargy of today.

Any change, even a shift for the better, is always escorted by drawbacks. Change is indeed inevitable, and fresh phases and stages of life come and go for a reason. Recognizing them for their inherent truth – which Hedges has – is the key. We learn, we achieve, and we transfer our resources and counsel to others.

“I’m totally content with that part of my life – the competition part,” says Hedges. “It’s time for me to share my knowledge with my students now. It’s time to move on.”