PALMER BUZZ: Rockers in Palmer

There’s at least three rock groups in Palmer and there are an estimated 500 groups all over the states. These are not rock music related groups. These are painted rock groups.

Collectively these rock painting groups have hundreds of members and thousands of followers in South Central Alaska. Painted rock groups are numerous nationally and internationally. As these “rockers” dedicate their time to creating, hiding and sharing their handcrafted rocks, a curious community builds.

These are people that take regular old rocks, paint them, and then surreptitiously hide the painted rock for an unsuspecting “other” to find. It seems so simple.

Allison Thies-Birdsall is a “rocker” in Palmer. Her group is “Palmer Alaska Rocks.” She says she saw painted rocks in in the lower 48 and thought it was neat. Ada Valequez with “Wasilla Rock Art”, found some rocks in Idaho and brought them back to place in Alaska. She said “I used to geocache and the rocks are a similar way to just explore while you’re outside.”

Facebook rock groups go by the names of Love Rocks. Kindness Rocks. Abandoned Art, Solid Little Messengers, Tokens of Love, Granite Guys, or Painted Pebbles. Just look them up on Facebook under Palmer rock painting.

Simplicity: The rocks can be simple or complex. The top side of the rock is painted with maybe a picture, inscription, inspirational message or clever design. Then, on the bottom side of the rock is some sort of instruction (HIDE ME) and source (PALMER).Active mystery: Painted rocks are placed in plain sight but still secretly hidden. It’s sort of like an ongoing easter egg hunt or scavenger hunt in a public space. Sometimes groups will post photo clues and sometimes not. There is Joy in the placement!Generosity: This is a communal art project and there is no money involved. Real people willingly make these rocks and give them away. They take time to create something lovely and share it with unexpected recipients. There is a feeling that—rocks’ have a destiny and will find the person that needs the message.Curiosity: Oftentimes people will find the rocks by chance and not quite know what to do. The rock is a surprise! It is the wonder of this exercise that also brings joy. Traveling rocks are now all over the world, heralding their place of creative birth.Destiny: Rocks are hidden in places where sadness and hopelessness reside. Graveyards. Hospitals, Chemo Treatment Centers. Shelters. Poor playgrounds. Messages painted on the rocks are generally hopeful and loving. When someone finds a painted rock, they take a picture of it and post it on a rock group. Fueled by the Facebook groups, the discovered little Palmer rocks’ journey starts to unfold and spread in social media.Creative Twists: Although most groups seem to be crafty or simple, there are some more sophistications of this craft. Millennial rock groups tend to hide rocks on college campuses with distinctly millennial snarky messages. Rock painters affiliated with churches tend to offer highly inspirational messages. And some adult groups, have turned their version into a mature edgy challenge, with artful and specific demands painted on their rocks. These suggestive rocks are hidden in appropriately adult areas like bar or club parking lots. Service Rocks : Our sister city’s Wasilla Rock Art group is intent on painting rocks for service men and women overseas. First Lt. Joe Hargrave, who is serving in Kuwait, has asked for rocks from rock groups from all over the nation. He and his camp are creating a colorful rock garden because, “Kuwait is hot, sandy, dull and brown.” He wants to brighten the lives of the soldiers who serve there.

I Found One—It’s a tiny little blue one—with a yellow smiley bug on the top. It was deposited by “Ak Valley Rocks.” I smiled. I’m hooked. And I saw one at the post office. I left it there for others to enjoy. You can bet i will make some of my own inscriptions to share and wonder at the destined recipient. Check the various and many social Mat Su and Palmer media sites to become a rocker.

Ethics of Rock Placement—It seems there is a standard of appropriate placement. If you are in a “wild area,” do not leave a painted rock. The polite policy is to leave no trace and that includes painted rocks. The natural landscape is beautiful enough.

Downtown Palmer— will be feeling lucky this weekend. Vagabond Blues is offering a decadent Guinness Chocolate Cake along with a corned beef and cabbage sandwich. Peak Boutique is celebrating Green by discounting their Annie Sloan Green Chalk Paint! Palmer Downtown Deli is celebrating with a Hearty Shepherds Pie, Irish Colcannon and House-cured Corned Beef and Cabbage both Friday and Saturday. Singer Shaela Asbury will be making music too most of Saturday afternoon. NonEssentials is offering mini-homemade cupcakes (Green of course) for St. Patty Day; Also at the shop will be Sonya’s special botanicals and small crocheted animals. There is also a St. Patricks Block Party with Corned beef Tamales at the new Cobb Street Market —along with a fun “Wear Green —Selfi-Station”.

And wait…..there’s more: Klondike Mike’s will be kicking it up with Diana Z and Earth 2 Travolta. There’s a Self Defense Class at White Feather Wellness or you can do the Referee Recertification Refresher Clinic. There will be paint opportunities at the art places, bird talks, Healthy Food Classes at Mat Su Regional, shooting classes at Point Blank Firearms Facility and of course the ongoing public Community Art Show for March at the Palmer Downtown Deli.