Frank G. Lindsey Fifth Grader Donates Painting to Library

Onkar Gore is a fifth-grade student at the Frank G. Lindsey School, in the Hendrick Hudson School District. He lives in Montrose with his parents and his kindergarten-aged sister.

Library Media Specialist Sherri Lutwyche, who alternates between Frank G. Lindsey and the Furnace Woods School, has developed a teaching relationship with the young man; but it’s Onkar who is the teacher.

When Mrs. Lutwyche mentioned to Onkar that she would like to learn more about computer coding, he volunteered to help her in his spare time. The two meet occasionally to work on coding, and Lutwyche is impressed both by his knowledge and by his ability to share the complicated coding process with her. “He’s got me well on the road to coding,” she said with pride.

But computers are not Onkar’s only interest. He is also a swimmer, tennis player, and painter. One day, when Lutwyche mentioned to him that she thought the Frank G. Lindsey library could use a picture of the beach to brighten up the place, Onkar went home, completed a beautiful seaside painting, and brought the canvas in as a gift to the library. Lutwyche was both touched and impressed. She is planning on getting the painting framed and giving it a place of prominence on the library wall.

Onkar describes his art as a passion, not just a pastime. “I started drawing a lot as a kid and began taking painting classes in third grade,” he said. He takes a two-hour class every Saturday in southern Westchester. Onkar likes to work on canvas, and only in oils, because, he says, acrylic paint dries too fast and doesn’t allow him the time he needs to make adjustments to his artwork. Asked what is the hardest part, for him, about painting, Onkar said, “I think it’s getting the right color,” especially when he has begun a painting and goes back again to work on it later.

And what does Onkar want to do when he’s all grown up? “Actually I want to be a painter, but also have my own company. Perhaps I’ll sell my own paintings.”

Photo Caption: Onkar Gore and Librarian Sherri Lutwyche.