08/23/2026
Amy Stacey Curtis has never waited for a traditional art space to make room for her work. She created the space herself.
In 2009, the Rebel Blend Fund helped Amy bring TIME to life: nine participatory installations spanning 16,000 square feet inside Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill.
It was part of an extraordinary 18-year project that included 81 interactive installations in abandoned mills across Maine, created with the help of more than 500 assistants and volunteers.
Since then, Amy’s creative life has taken a path she never could have anticipated. Following a brain injury caused by previously undiagnosed Lyme disease, she experienced psychosis, loss of muscle control, and years of rehabilitation. When she struggled to regain her speech, she began playing the ukulele as her own form of occupational therapy.
Today, Amy has learned more than 700 songs, won Maine’s Got Talent in 2025, published her memoir How My Brain Saved My Life Twice, and released the ukulele cover album Restrung.
Her advice to this year’s applicants is simple: It can’t hurt to try. If you don’t try, you definitely won’t receive the grant. Find your inner rebel.
We asked Amy what being a rebel means to her. She said:
“Refusing to wait for permission to create, heal, or reinvent yourself.”
The Rebel Blend Fund is fueled by every Rebel Blend bag and cup purchased. Support the fund at our Diamond Street coffeehouse or shop online, and apply for this year’s grant through the link in our bio.
Follow her journey across TikTok/IG/Facebook/Linkedin
