Meet the Artist: Chair Celebrates Needham History

The Needham Merchants Association's brings together local artists, businesses and organizations in an effort to draw more people downtown and encourage them to shop local.

Placed throughout downtown Needham, each Adirondack chair has its own theme and was painted by a local artist. The chairs will be auctioned off at an event in September, with proceeds to benefit town beautification projects and local students.

Needham Patch will be profiling some of the artists behind these creations throughout the summer. Today, we chat with Jan Dolan, whose chair can be seen at , in the main lobby.

For a full list of chairs, artists and locations, .

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Title: "Needham's Pansies"
Artist: Jan Dolan
Sponsored by:
Find it at: Coldwell Banker office (lobby), 1 Chapel St.

Why did you decide to participate in this project? As a member of the Needham Art Association, I got the email looking for artists and thought it would be a fun project.

What was your inspiration for the piece? I had in my mind the idea of the chair becoming part of the landscape with grass growing up the sides, and then I have always liked the idea of the to pansies in Needham. It was a learning experience working with the wood, and the chair developed as I went along.

What is your background as an artist?I have painted and dabbled in art all my life. I attended UMass Boston and Mass College of Art, studying sculpture, photography, printmaking, ceramics and painting. I also did post graduate courses at Framingham State, which has a fine art education department. 

What is your medium of choice? In recent years, I have focused on house portraits, especially in Needham, in pencil and colored pencil. However, I have always considered myself a painter, and my favorite medium is oils.

Where can someone see more of your work? I am not displaying work at the moment, although I plan to in the future at the NAA exhibits.

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Click here to read more profiles of "A Chair To Remember" artists.