Dragonfly Dees - Your Stress-Free Zone

April 12 marked the official Grand Opening of Dragonfly Dees with speeches,  fanfare and ribbon-cutting scissors for all. It was a picture-perfect spring morning in the Sierra, with locals and visitors turning out for Saturday strolls through downtown Groveland. Dragonfly Dees was Open for Business, offering homemade brownies, refreshments, and an opportunity to turn Trash into Treasure.

Owner Delcie Cunningham spoke of her vision for Dragonfly Dees as a place where anyone can find a quiet and inviting space with a range of activities for de-stressing. Born out of necessity, Dragonfly Dees was created when Delcie was diagnosed with functional Neurological Disorder, which suddenly landed her in a wheelchair with no control of her body. Recognizing stress as a major factor, Delcie opened Dragonfly Dees in September 2024 to offer members of the community and visitors creative outlets to release the pressure. There’s so many options to suit your mood, including reading, crafting, painting, woodburning, meditating, puzzles, even workout stations and manual therapy.

It was an auspicious day for Dragonfly Dees, bringing together three community organizations to celebrate this new Groveland business, with Visit Tuolumne County’s 2025 Art Week as the cornerstone. Yosemite Highway 120 Chamber of Commerce organized the Ribbon Cutting, partnering with Grade to Gate Foundation to host the Groveland/Big Oak Flat area’s Art Week project: Think Outside the Trash.

Proving the old adage that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, enthusiastic locals dove into piles of household throwaways to create some pretty spectacular artwork. For a donation of $20 (supporting the downtown Beautification program), budding artists were encouraged to decorate manzanita branches wrapped with solar-power fairy lights. Dragonfly Dees’ Woodburning Wizard (and Delcie’s Significant Other) Austin “Woody” drilled bases from reclaimed wood, which serve as foundations for “planting” the Trash Trees in some of Groveland’s gold-veined ground planters. These Trash Trees will be displayed until Art Week closes on April 20, when the artists will take their creations home to enjoy and redecorate according to the season.

Delcie Cunningham set out to create a safe and relaxing place for the community who stood by her throughout her personal journey. You’ll love the spacious, light-filled studio that sits above it all at 18729 Main Street with convenient parking and an easy-access ramp located on Back Street. Whether you prefer quiet solitude, the exhilaration of shared creativity through a workshop, or the one-on-one assistance dealing with physical issues, visit Dragonfly Dees’ stress-free zone.