The artwork of local seniors was recently showcased at the Area Agency on Aging District 7’s (AAA7) 34th Annual Senior Citizens Art Show and Essay/Poetry Contest held at the Esther Allen Greer Museum, located on the campus of the University of Rio Grande.
This year, a total of 178 art pieces were entered in the contest with 38 essays/poems. Special Awards were presented: “Victor Potts Best of Show Award” in the Amateur Category went to Pat Parsons of Gallia County for her bronzed sculpture, ”Horton the Elephant”; “Victor Potts Best of Show Award” in the Professional Category went to Mary Jo Copeland of Highland County for her oil, “Eight is Enough”; the “Mary Peck Friend of Animals Award” went to Jo Ann White of Adams County for her watercolor, “Bunny Rabbit”; People’s Choice Award went to Dennis Crabtree of Jackson County for his watercolor, “The Old House on Horton Sisters Road”; Best Overall Essay went to R. Eugene Wallace for “Tribute to Dean Cockrill”; and Best Overall Poem went to Dorothy Strickland of Scioto County for “How the World Was Made”.
Individuals age 55 or older were eligible to participate in the art show and essay/poetry contest. Winners announced from Highland County included:
• 1st Place Acrylic/Abstract – “Untitled” by Vernie Atkinson;
• 1st Place Counted Cross Stitch/Seascape – “Adoration” by Kathryn Morris;
• 1st Place Framed/Animals and Birds – “Untitled” by Sue Johnson;
• 1st Place Framed/Other – “Untitled” by Sue Johnson;
• 1st Place Mixed Media/Animals and Birds – “King of the Barnyard” by Elizabeth Smith;
• 1st Place Mixed Media/Floral – “Dendrobium” by Elizabeth Smith;
• 1st Place Oil/Animals and Birds (Professional Category) – “Eight is Enough” by Mary Jo Copeland;
• 1st Place Pencil/Landscape – “Dungeness” by Kathryn Morris;
• 4th Place Photography/Landscape – “Morning Walk” by Kathryn Morris;
• 1st Place Photography/Seascape – “Niagra Falls” by Elinor Cornelius;
• 1st Place Watercolor/Abstract – “Volcanic Eruption” by Louise Calhoun;
• 1st Place Watercolor/Animals and Birds (Professional Category) – “Resting Time” by Mary Jo Copeland;
• 3rd Place Watercolor/Landscape – “Quick Stop” by Mary O. Reed;
• 1st Place Essay/Highland County – “True Tales of the Old Great Northwest Territory” by Mary Hawthorne;
• 1st Place Essay/Highland County – “We Two” by Donna Jean Amert;
• 2nd Place Essay/Highland County – “Company – Country Style” by Darrell R. Larkin;
• 3rd Place Essay/Highland County – “I’m Walkin’” by Lester Hatfield;
• 4th Place Essay/Highland County – “Poets and Politicians” by Mary Hawthorne.
To learn more about next year’s art show, typically held in May/June of each year, call 1-800-582-7277.
Your local Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. provides services on a non-discriminatory basis. These services are available to help older adults and those with disabilities live safely and independently in their own homes through services paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, other federal and state resources, as well as private pay. The AAA7’s Resource Center is also available to anyone in the community looking for information or assistance with long-term care options. Available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., the Resource Center is a valuable contact for learning more about options and what programs and services are available for assistance.
Submitted by Jenni Dovyak-Lewis, Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc.
