Now through Sunday, June 8, a watercolor art piece by Barbara Kurtz, Keystone Villa at Douglassville, can be viewed at the 2014 Senior Festival of the Arts.
Originally a Pottstown resident, Kurtz started painting 28 years ago when she was 60 years old. Her art career, which she calls a hobby, began when her children purchased art classes for her at The Anvil Studio in Pottstown.
Although she didn’t enjoy painting with oils during her first semester, Kurtz did find her perfect medium in watercolors. ‘Oils were too sloppy and messy,’ said Kurtz, ‘but I decided to try watercolor, which I like very much.’
Kurtz enjoys painting flowers, birds, and landscapes. Her first landscapes were around her home, on Chestnut Hill Road, before she moved into Keystone Villa at Douglassville (KVAD) five years ago.
Kurtz showcases two of her paintings already displayed on the walls: one is a landscape she ‘copied’ in 2003 of the village at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Elverson. The other picture in her room is a fish and water-lily picture that shows depth of color and perspective.
Over the years, Kurtz has given each of her five children 35 or more paintings.
Kurtz, now 88, has won first and second prizes at local, county (district) and state art competitions, and also sold a number of her paintings through The Anvil Studio.
‘I lived in Keystone Villa, and didn’t paint much then, there were so many other activities, but I wanted to get started again.’
Keystone Villa is a proud sponsor of the 2014 Senior Festival of the Arts. Eighteen residents of both the Douglassville and Fleetwood location have entered art into the show.
Art categories include acrylic, drawing mediums, mixed media, oil, watercolor, photography, woodcarving, and ‘Riverplace’ (‘visions’ of the Schuylkill River or Tulpehocken Creek on canvas, paper, or a photo).
The non-juried art show was begun 30 years ago by the Berks County Office of Aging and was held at various venues in Reading. It is now held at the Miller Center for the Arts, Second and Penn streets, Reading, and all events are free.
Keystone Villa at Douglassville is a distinctive retirement community offering Independent Living, Personal Care and Memory Care to residents at an affordable month-to-month rent, with no buy-in fees or hidden costs. It is conveniently located on Route 422 in Douglassville, PA. To schedule a personal tour, please call 610-385-5002 or log onto www.KeystoneVilla.com.
From Keystone Villa
