Winners All The 22nd Annual Rocky River Art Exhibit
Best of Show was awarded to Terry McGovern for his oil painting, Diversions at Sea.
Thanks to the staff and volunteers, the Rocky River Senior Center was transformed into an art gallery for two weeks in July. The walls of the center vibrated with color from more than 180 pictures submitted by 74 artists. Serene scenes of summer and winter, portraits and drawings drew appreciative looks from viewers, while a few pictures of animals - ferocious or not - elicited smiles from young and old. The judges must have had a hard time picking the winners!
Best of Show was awarded to Terry McGovern for his oil painting, Diversions at Sea. The theme of painting was captured by several musical instruments used by sailors in the 18th-19th century to wile away the long days at sea. Terry, a Rocky River native, took to art early on, acquired some training in high school and college, and planned for an art career in advertising.
Time spent in Vietnam and the responsibilities of raising a family made starting out as an apprentice artist not economically feasible. But Terry stayed close to art, with a career that saw him rise from account manager to president and CEO of one of Cleveland’s largest advertising and public relations firms. Once retired, Terry began painting again, producing about one oil a month “unless someone puts a fire under me”. Ever the business executive, Terry’s “goal” is to “bring a little joy to those who like my stuff“. Indeed you have, Mr. McGovern.
Similar to Terry, Laurel Cantleberry has always had her heart in art. Laurel gained neighborhood popularity in her teen years by fulfilling constant requests from her peers for sketches of horses. Focusing on art in high school, Laurel was set for an art scholarship to Ohio State when love, marriage and family came along. Recently returning to art, Laurel credits her art instructor at the senior center, Gail Felix, for reviving, restoring and sharpening the skills and techniques she had forgotten. When life prevented her from attending classes, Laurel worked with Gail by phone. Laurel’s pastel painting of a young boy in winter won First Place in the show.
Barbara Hall’s “Onions” was the Second Place winner. Her watercolor painting was done on yupo paper, a synthetic water-resistant paper that dries only by evaporation. Thus, Barbara’s painting has unique textures and colors.
Craig Schermer‘s sensitive portrait of the young Tsarevitch Alexis took Third Place in the show. The mixed-media painting has a three-dimensional glow, obtained by layering pastels over oil. The portrait attests not only to Craig’s skills as an artist but also to his love of history. Left without a guidance counselor his freshman year at John Carroll University, Craig filled his schedule with only history courses until “they caught up with me and reminded me I needed math, the sciences, etc.” Craig went on to earn a master’s degree in Russian history.
The pursuit of knowledge never ended for Craig, as he became an avid researcher of various historical periods and the famous - or infamous - figures of those periods. He recently donated 50 research notebooks on Caroline Scott Harrison, our 23rd First Lady and one of Craig’s favorite subjects, to the National First Ladies’ Library. Craig - historian, actor, artist - brings all his extraordinary talents to his lecturers, not to mention his witty but keen observations on the human condition. In the fall, Craig will be presenting a lecture series on the Romanovs, the last imperial rulers of Russia, at the senior center.
Congratulations to all the show’s artists! And, for those of you who are even a little curious about how those pictures were created, watercolor instructor Bob Moyer says, “Pick up a brush. Take a course.”
The Rocky River Senior Center offers a variety of classes, lectures and events. Stop by the center, located at 21014 Hilliard Blvd., for a list of upcoming activities.
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Carolyn Hildebrandt
editor, writer