Dylan Haviland – Arts & Entertainment Editor
Van Nguyen’s black and white charcoal drawing portrayed two soldiers illustrated in great detail against a blurry field. The soldiers have their rifles slung across their shoulders with one supporting his companion by holding his arm.
Nguyen’s artwork is a part of the “Senior Senior Show,” a gallery of paintings, drawings and sculptures from senior citizen students in Earl Hall. The gallery will hold its reception on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 4 to 5 p.m.
“I always liked art for a long time, since high school. When I came here, I essentially had to set it aside for a little bit and worry about making a living,” said Nguyen. “Now I am retired so that I could pursue my interest in art.”
For Gloria Rothfeld-Stelkovis the classes on campus gave her opportunities to expand her knowledge and skill in art. Her paintings are now displayed in the exhibit, a vast array of oil paintings and portraits. The portraits bring out the distinct qualities of the subjects, with a striking shade of pink and yellow in the backgrounds.
“I studied art in college and didn’t paint for like, 55 years,” said Rothfeld-Stelkovis. “I came [to Southern] and just started taking every studio class I could.”
One of her paintings has a young girl wearing a sunhat, her auburn hair and brown eyes are brought out by the bright orange background. Rothfeld-Stelkovis said that her love of faces are one of her inspirations for portraiture.
The gallery also presents students’ transitions into different fields of art. Johnette Luxeder was previously a graphic artist, who chose to pursue different art styles, particularly painting. She now takes paintings classes to improve in that particular medium.
“I knew that at 62 you could go [to classes] for free and I always hung onto that thought as something good about getting old,” said Luxeder.
One of Luxeder’s paintings is a favorite subject to her, moonflowers. A plant she grows and documents with photos, her painting of the moonflower shows bleach white petals against dark and earthy foliage.
On the other side of Luxeder’s artwork, are three large canvases by Joan Jacobson, all done in acrylic paint. The trio of paintings display important themes that are important to Jacobson, like family, unity and compassion. A big aspect in her life, as her family continues to grow with grandchildren.
A painting of two young girls done by Luxeder reflects to her love of family. She is particularly proud of the piece since it is her first time illustrating a subject from a photograph.
Additional works in the gallery include large pieces of pencil art by Michael Notaro and sculptures by Mimi Glenn, Terry Russo and Stewart Nodleman.
Photo Credit: All Photos by Dylan Havilland – Arts & Entertainment Editor
HEADER PHOTO: Student, Van Nguyen