We’ve all heard the warnings: “Don’t pick up hitchhikers.” I agree…however, this is the story of how my sister once picked up a hitchhiker who, over a decade later, became one of my best art collectors.
“There was just something about them standing in the rain,” Katie said about that day in 2001 when she saw two men on the side of the road during a rainstorm in Rocky Mountain National Park. “It was like a jolt to my heart. I had to go back for them.” My sister did so despite any logic or warnings our mother, who watched a lot of crime shows throughout our lives, had embedded in her brain.
After dropping the men off at a flooded campsite, she shared the story with her roommates. The roommates worked cleaning cabins alongside my sister at a lodge in Estes Park, Colorado. My sister couldn’t shake her concern for the young men, and the roommates agreed to offer them a dry place to crash for the night in the living room.
Originally from Germany, the two hitchhikers, Malte and Andreas, ended up staying for a week. They had been traveling across country by bus to visit national parks across the United States. My sister’s love of nature, which had motivated her to live in Colorado, was an interest she shared with them. The men cleaned the cabin my sister and her roommates lived in and in gratitude made them a German apple cake.
Katie Harker and former hitchhikers Andreas Niestoy (above) and Malte Humpert (below) in 2001 on the steps of the cabin.
My sister eventually moved to Los Angeles and I followed a couple years later, as did one of the hitchhikers, Malte. Katie and Malte became best friends. My sister has a wicked memory for random facts, especially those related to environment and health. Those who love her call her Wik-a-Katia or Katie-pedia. Luckily, Katie had Malte to nerd out with over environmental topics. Malte founded the Arctic Institute, a nonprofit organization committed to the study of issues related to Arctic sustainability and security that conducts research to help shape policies around the globe. He has traveled the world to speak on the topic of climate change with different nations.
Malte Humpert and Katie Harker hiking in Lake Tahoe in 2018.
Beyond being a dear friend to my sister, Malte has always been a voice of encouragement for the art I create.
Early in my painting days in Los Angeles, there were times my sister would share something Malte and his then fiancée Anneliese had said about my work. Their messages often came in moments when I doubted myself, and they lifted my spirits. I loved Malte and Anneliese for that support long before they ever purchased a painting.
In 2012, they took the leap from admiring paintings to becoming collectors.
Their first purchase:
Venice Beat by Brooke Harker 36″x 48″ ink, oil and acrylic on canvas (painted in 2011).
Malte’s second purchase, Coastal Dreamin’, went to his parents in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Coastal Dreamin’ by Brooke Harker 30″x 60″ ink, oil and acrylic on canvas (painted in 2012).
The Humperts went on to commission two works on paper, of Georgetown University and Lake Tahoe.
Me, my sister Katie (and her amazing hair) with Anneliese and Malte at their wedding at the Grand Canyon, in 2013.
The Humperts have watched my sister grow up, witnessed the evolution of my art and been enthusiastic cheerleaders along the way.
They also have a really cute dog named Mango. I strongly suggest following Mango on Instagram (@dognamedmango), because what brightens a day more than seeing videos of a golden retriever jump through snow? Okay, maybe a visit from Mango in the art studio. I got to meet Mango early in 2018 when the Humperts visited to check on two commissions of the South of France slated for the collection of his parents in Germany.
I didn’t get a lot of painting done that day…however, it was worth it to hug Mango. See @dognamedmango on Instagram for more cuteness.
Lumiere du Su by Brooke Harker 30” x 55” ink, oil & acrylic on canvas.
Le Sud au Matin by Brooke Harker 30” x 55” ink, oil & acrylic on canvas.
Malte and Katie in 2018.
Katie and Malte’s friendship has always delighted me. They plot to save the world, while I’m painting it. We all impact the world in different ways.
I’m not sure how many artists can say a hitchhiker became one of their art collectors, nor do I recommend picking up hitchhikers in the hopes of selling them art. However, I do recommend believing that goodness can be found in unlikely places.
My sister with former hitchhikers Malte and Andreas at Lake Tahoe in 2018—plus Mango.
To learn more about the Arctic Institute or to get involved visit www.thearcticinstitute.org.
Brooke Harker
