KEYPORT Showcasing watercolors, acrylic and pastel paintings, the borough’s Senior Center hosted its 4th annual Art Show.
Composed of artwork created by 14 different artists at the center, residents viewed more than 20 paintings on Aug.23, at the Keyport Senior Center, located at 110 Second St.
The center’s first art show was in August, 2014, according to the Center’s Interim Director Madeline Costello.
“The Senior Center started the annual art show, [when I] was the administrative assistant to [the] director, currently interim director, and had previously worked in the school system. I personally thought the work was quite impressive and spoke to director about doing the exhibit. She accepted the idea and worked with the Art Instructor, Dennis Magee and his students,” Costello said.
For the art show this year, Letty Lombardo painted an acrylic painting called, “Summer Liacs” and has been coming to the center for seven years.
“This is our fourth art show and its really not a competition. There’s no prizes [or] who won the best or anything like that..However, we are artists and we like to just paint and they started this art show about four years ago..and its really taken off. People are doing their art and they say ok we are going to hang it up and show it and all the art is here for a month..As far as inspiration its whatever you want to paint,” Lombardo said.
On Fridays the center hosts a “free art” class when residents may come and paint from 1-3 p.m. There is no instructor, but everyone helps each other with one another’s work, according to Lombardo.
“I think it’s nice to have a hobby truthfully. I really do. I think that people need a hobby as they get older. I have always been into [painting] and as I have gotten older more so,” Lombardo said.
Dennis Magee has been an art instructor at the center for 11 years. He hosts art classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when he gives instructions and demonstrations to attendees on how to draw and paint, according to Magee.
“I think [the art show] is good. It brings everybody that is a little shy about their art and it brings them out of the closet..and it lets them see that what they may not consider as ‘I don’t really like that’ that other people like it, so that is what I like about the art show..Each year gets a little bit better, there are people that leave and people that come and everybody contributes a little bit to each other and that’s the main thing.”
For more information about the Keyport Senior Center visit www.keyportonline.com/content/4031/4050/4247/5032/default.aspx.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].