Our Lady of the Assumption's Artist in Residence

WOODBRIDGE, CT - Elizabeth Smolinski, one of the cantors at Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, has more than a beautiful voice.

Liz (Ortoleva) Smolinski, a visual arts teacher at Amity High School, recently completed a portrait of Blessed Michael J. McGivney for veneration in OLOA's Center Road church. On Oct. 31, 2020, Father Michael J. McGivney was beatified and declared “Blessed” in a Mass and Beatification ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, moving one step closer to becoming a saint.

The portrait (pictured above with Mrs. Smolinski) was on display in front of the statues of the Holy Family during the Christmas season at the Our Lady of the Assumption Church on Center Road, but now has been moved to the altar on the eastern side of the church in front of the mosaic honoring the Blessed Sacrament.

Mrs. Smolinski is married to Dr. Keith Smolinski, the Director of Music at the church and a science teacher at Amity Middle School - Bethany; the couple are the parents of two young sons.

"I speak for the entire parish in expressing my gratitude to Liz for donating this work of art to the parish," wrote Christopher M. Ford, the pastor of the parish, in a January church bulletin.

Prayer cards with the image will be printed and distributed to parishioners in the near future.

Elizabeth Smolinski's bio from her website

[The Artist,] a Woodbridge, Connecticut resident, grew up in New Haven and developed an early interest in art, thanks to the encouragement of her parents and teachers at an arts magnet school. After graduating from Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, she attended Central Connecticut State University where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Art Education. She then earned a Master's Degree in Education from Walden University.

Her teaching career began at Ridgefield High School, where she taught studio art and computer art classes for four years. She now teaches art at Amity Regional High School

Her involvement in the community also includes her role as a cantor and choir member at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Woodbridge. She and her husband Keith (also a teacher) are grateful for the relationships they have made through their artistic and musical endeavors in the Amity community.

Elizabeth's artwork has been shown at the Samuel T. Chen gallery at CCSU in New Britain, the Creative Arts Workshop, the Orange Public Library, and the Long Wharf Theater.

Balancing a teacher's schedule and her artwork is challenging, but Elizabeth sees painting and drawing as a necessity in her life. Her favorite subject matter is her family and friends, and she prefers to work from candid photographs of them. Often, travel influences her work, and elements of recent trips to Italy and California can be seen in some of her artwork. Elizabeth's main artistic influences have been Edward Hopper, Maxfield Parish, and Norman Rockwell.

Elizabeth enjoys working in oil, charcoal, and watercolor, but considers her knowledge of art media to be well rounded, thanks to her art education training.

This Collect for the Memorial of Blessed Michael J. McGivney was shared in the parish bulletin.

God of eternal mercy, who set your priest Blessed Michael in the Church to comfort the suffering and the weary, the lonely and the oppressed with works of charity and a gentle heart, grant that, through his intercession, we too may become vessels of mercy in our day and so enter into our heavenly inheritance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. R. Amen