05/10/2022
Growing up my nickname was, “Elsie”, playfully named by way of my father, after my great grandmother. Being the only redhead in my family since my paternal great grandparents, the nickname seemed fitting to everyone around me. I’m told we had a lot in common, Elsie & I. We were both redheads, fairly stubborn & had a tendency to slam the car door. (My father still reacts with a, “Damn, Elsie!”, everytime I exit a car). My actual name is Lauren Concepcion, born Lauren Greer. I am from Birmingham, Alabama, raised in the Roebuck/Eastlake area, & am rather proud of that. I grew up a city girl, never quite knowing where I fell (being both from the city, but distinctly southern) & not knowing much of Appalachia, though my family was very much from the region. By the time I came along, however, we had been city dwellers for far too long. With the exception of certain nuances, particularly on my father’s side, Appalachia became lost in translation. I think this can be said of many people, & their descendants, that were disconnected from Appalachia. Descendants who’s families moved inward toward the larger cities, but grew up feeling the phantom tether. This project is somewhat of a rediscovery for me & one that I, perhaps serendipitously, found while meandering down the path of folk arts. This path landed me smack dab on the doorsteps of my two co-founders & reunited me with an understanding & sense of self that I didn’t fully know I needed, or was missing.
I wear many hats. I’m a mother, avid gardener, an dabbler of many trades, a dreamer of a million more & most passionately, a wood-burning artist.
I am the last of our founders & the hat I wear for OAS is one for the folk arts. We have built the foundation for this little project on the three pillars of humanity: stories, food & art. We can’t wait to share this journey & for those perhaps like me, reconnection.
My initials are now LC & to bring this introduction full circle, coincidentally (or not), sounds a lot like, “Elsie”.
