Residents, staff get place to display talent

View larger image Bill Pieper, 90, stands beside a group of art illustrations of cars he created that is part of the art display at Westminster Canterbury in Winchester. Rich Cooley/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos View larger image Esther Dovell, 95, creates an oil painting of delicious apples in her apartment inside Westminster Canterbury in Winchester. Rich Cooley/Daily View larger image Resident George Burgess, 80, looks over the art display at Westminster Canterbury in Winchester. Rich Cooley/Daily

By Sally Voth - svoth@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER - Thanks to the opening of a small new gallery, residents of Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury are finding out the hidden talents of their neighbors and caretakers.

The Lawrence Gallery opened Sept. 23 in the complex's Lawrence Hall. Its name honors William H. Lawrence Jr.'s family, who donated the land for the retirement community, according to a news release from Westminster-Canterbury.

While the current exhibit includes artwork only from residents and staff, future ones will feature those of area artists, the release says. Profits from sold pieces will go to the Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury Fellowship Fund, which provides financial assistance to residents.

"This is the inaugural showing," said resident June Hess, who is on the community's arts committee.

She said the artists range in age from 19 to 95.

Some of the pieces are for sale, while others are not. The artists used a variety of media to create the works, including oils, acrylics, watercolors and India ink. Some of the paintings are still-lifes and portraits, while others are landscapes and scenery.

Several of Fred Zimmer's works hang in the gallery. A former Fulbright scholar and graphic design professor at Ohio State University, as well as a New York designer, the 87-year-old has a studio within the independent-living apartment he shares with his wife.

"I try to do a painting about once every week or 10 days," he said. "I'm currently doing some humorous things. I do a lot of abstracts."

Throughout his career, Zimmer always painted and exhibited his art.

"I like the idea of the show, because it brings out a lot of the talent in people that I had never known about," he said. "It represents a lot of effort."

Zimmer is a youngster compared to some of the other artists.

Esther Dovell is 95, much shorter than 5 feet, and resplendent with her curled white hair and lavender sweater and slacks. She has an easel set up beside a front window in her apartment. Dovell does some acrylic painting, but she mainly works in oils.

Several of Dovell's works decorate her apartment. She has painted all her life, but took up the passion more after her husband died, and takes classes at Westminster-Canterbury.

"I try to paint scenery of Virginia, because it sells," Dovell said. "Not only that, I don't go too far away from home to paint other things. Sometimes I paint from photos or out of books."

She points out books on Virginia, the U.S. and national parks that are sitting on her coffee table.

Wilfred Pieper -- who is 90 years old, but could easily pass for 70 -- has three of his large illustrative paintings in the gallery. One is a close-up of the headlight and grill of a 1955 Buick, another is the front and wheel of a Model T Ford, and the third focuses on the taillight and bumper of a 1957 Nomad.

Pieper said he does many other styles of paintings, but these were a series he did on part of his son's car collection.

"It's strictly a hobby," Pieper said of his painting.

During his 28 years in the Air Force, Pieper said he didn't do much painting, but throughout the rest of his working life it was something he did on weekends and at night.

"I think [the show] is wonderful," he said. "It's very, very interesting. I happened to be on the [arts] committee. I had no idea we had this much talent here in the community."

Ron Jackson's peaceful watercolors of an adobe wall and of a mill window are in the exhibit. While it's hard to believe, he's only been painting for 10 years.

"A rained-out golf game" got him started on his artistic path. Jackson, 89, and his wife had gone to Capon Springs and Farm in West Virginia for a golf outing. When it rained, Jackson decided to attend a two-day painting workshop, and was hooked.

"I've been trying to get something like this [show] ever since I've been here, so to see it come to pass is pretty good," he said.