"Artists Among Us" — a new gallery at Park Place of Elmhurst

Elmhurst, Ill. (Friday, August 30, 2013) - When Walter Martin moved into Park Place of Elmhurst, he didn't realize that his life experience as an artist, a curator, and Dean of the Art Department at Concordia University would be called upon. But at a unique pre-Labor Day event, more than 50 people expressed appreciation for Walter's expertise at an opening reception for the new Artists Among Us gallery at Park Place. Walter was one of five Park Place residents whose art was featured. His personal contributions to the opening show included brightly colored acrylics of his preferred sources of inspiration — nature and world travel.

Behind the scenes, Walter served as advisor to local artist Amy Lloyd, who volunteers as a painting instructor at Park Place and who now serves as curator of the Artists Among Us gallery. "He was such a big help," said Amy, citing his experience as curator of Concordia University's art collection and gallery. 

Amy was delighted to have so many accomplished artists sign up for her classes at Park Place, and she was amazed at the number of pieces each had amassed over a lifetime of work. "When I would stop in their apartments after class," she says, "I could see all the pieces they had hanging on their walls — plus, many of them had dozens more boxed up or filed away. I knew we had to find a way to show these."  

So Amy and Walter worked with the Life Enrichment staff at Park Place to find a location for the exhibition and to plan the opening reception. Amy oversaw the installation of wall-mounted tracks and cables, and she worked with the five spotlighted artists to select the paintings they wanted to exhibit. 

Hadley Pihl was another of the featured artists. A third-generation amateur artist, following his father and grandmother, Hadley has been painting for more than 80 years. He grew up in Cape Cod and studied art at the Cape Cod Art Association. He counts Millard Wells, George Richelieu, and Charles Vickery — all of whom he personally studied with — as his favorite influences. Their influence can be seen in his oil seascapes and boats.

Like Walter Martin, resident Jeanette Covey finds inspiration in world travel, though for this debut opening reception she chose a series of painted ceramic plates that depict her other interest: interior design.

Inspired by street scenes and landscapes, Joyce Moucka Knuepfer selected three watercolors for the exhibit. Watercolor is Joyce's favorite medium, but Amy's classes at Park Place have encouraged her to renew an interest in oil, so her next gallery event may feature more of that medium.

For resident Ann Harrington, art is more than a hobby or a pastime. Ann has recently begun suffering the effects of dementia, a disease that makes it difficult for the brain to process stimuli. But with a paintbrush in hand, facing a blank canvas and a palette of colors, the world makes sense to Ann again. "When I paint," she says, "all the voices in my head are quiet." 

Though the five artists featured in this first show all have art experience and/or art education, Amy's classes in the Park Place studio are open to people of all levels of ability. She considers herself an "art ambassador" and is eager to give people a chance to explore and experiment. "Anyone who has an interest," she declared at the reception, "come on down!" The crowd smiled and applauded.

Don Engelsman, Executive Director of Park Place of Elmhurst, was delighted by the occasion and the turnout for the opening reception. He began his remarks with, "Isn't this a wonderful day?" and went on to thank each artist by name. The guests in attendance toasted the artists, the curator, and the Life Enrichment staff with champagne and punch.

Don's hope is that this is the first in a series of gallery receptions, sometimes featuring a single resident artist, sometimes welcoming a local Elmhurst artist, and sometimes showing off the work of art students from neighboring Timothy Christian Schools. "We have such a talented community here at Park Place," he says, "but we're part of a larger community as well. And our Artists Among Us gallery gives us opportunities to show our appreciation, to learn from each other, and to celebrate our talented and creative residents."

Park Place of Elmhurst is a Providence Life Services community located at 1050 Euclid Avenue in Elmhurst, Illinois. To view the Artists Among Us gallery or ask questions about the artists, call (630) 333-4343. 

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