Kenneth Ober had been attending and selling at art shows around the country when the pandemic began in 2020. He began a new chapter in Bisbee.
Kenneth Ober was a successful Los Angeles-based artist who was exhibiting and selling art in different parts of the country when the pandemic began.
When the economy and his career came crashing down in 2020, he was able to pivot and follow through on an idea that had begun a few years earlier: a move to Arizona.
After exploring other options, Ober found a property in Bisbee that he liked, and he's been transforming it- and his life - ever since.
"Honestly, there was two years that I had no idea what I would do. There was October of 2020 when I bought this property, and then almost a whole year after that," Ober says.
"But getting through that, like any stage of grief, you get past the initial parts and you start saying, 'what can I do? What can I create?'"
The large lot and buildings on Highway 80 east of Bisbee's traffic circle used to house the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Arizona Department of Transportation and others.
Today, Ober has a collection of his traditional paintings there, along with outdoor art such as the "Chairy Tree," a garden and nursery, and other displays.
VIEW LARGER The Chairy Tree is Kenneth Ober's sculpture in Bisbee and people can see it as they drive on Arizona Highway 80.
Fridays and Saturdays, he provides tours and has items for sale on his artistic spread. For extra income, he also works in construction in Bisbee where he has found plenty of opportunities.
"I have always been the kind of person who attempts to utilize every available resource to maximize potential for future success and so I was able to pick a property that to me had a multitude of possibilities for success."
Looking back, he says, he has no regrets and he's very happy with his new chapter.
Since moving to Bisbee in 2020, Kenneth Ober has been working on various projects including art, outdoor installations, and a nursery.
Kenneth Ober had been attending and selling at art shows around the country when the pandemic began in 2020. He began a new chapter in Bisbee.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.