Third Annual Oreland Art Center Show a Success at Dresher Estates

Barbara Ostrander, Janine Asher and Karen Liebman eyed the paintings in their charge, carving out the precise place for each one, while flawlessly accounting for size, shape and color coordination.

As these local artists painstakingly hung over 100 paintings, a crowd milled about and watched. But rather than critics, collectors and fine arts students, this crowd consisted of senior citizens, marveling at how their cozy living room was steadily being converted into a gallery for the third annual Oreland Art Center show and sale at Brandywine Assisted Living at Dresher Estates. 

When the artists arrive to hang pictures, “it’s like old home week,” explained Marge Jacoby, Director of Community Relations at Dresher Estates and president of the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

“The residents love the hustle and bustle of the set-up of the artwork. Many of our residents are very cultured people, and this brings some of the outside world to them," Jacoby said.

As part of its community-oriented policy, Dresher Estates opened the art exhibit to the public with a warm and welcoming reception Thursday, June 9. Residents danced to the crooning of a live entertainer, while artists mingled, admiring the work of their peers and nibbling from an aesthetically—and gastronomically—pleasing display of hors d’oeuvres and dessert.

The exhibiting artists at the weekend-long Dresher Estates show were all members of the Oreland Art Center, which, founded over 50 years ago, continues to support the local art scene with classes for children and adults, lectures and workshops, exhibitions and small scholarships for graduating art students from Upper Dublin and Springfield high schools.

The exhibit at Dresher Estates featured primarily watercolors, but also included acrylics, oils and prints. There were landscapes, still lifes, and even humorous works like the bold creations with clever titles, such as “Narcissists in Love,” by artist and former newspaper illustrator Lee de Groot.

With over 100 original entries by 29 local artists, the show represented an eclectic body of work, reflecting a wide range of talent—from novice to professional. 

The highlight of the exhibit was mixing with these artists and uncovering the stories and techniques behind their works on display. For example, when presenting her watercolor creation of whimsically ornate heels painted in soft pink hues, artist Sandy Gechter unsurprisingly confessed to a penchant for shoes.

Another artist, Pauline Braun, exhibited an acrylic of a New Jersey boardwalk, which was painted in warm, vibrant colors—even though she had actually created this scene from a black-and-white photograph taken in the winter!

The most surprising work was Margaret Dawson’s “Pocono Bridge.” At first glance, it was simply a serene setting painted in soothing colors—a small bridge above a rolling stream with a paddleboat resting ashore. Upon closer examination, observers realized that the painting was too textured to have been done on canvas. Incredibly, the artist’s medium of choice for this work was dryer lint.

Although the exhibit at Dresher Estates has closed and the paintings have come down, membership at the Oreland Art Center is still open. People at all levels of artistic experience are welcome to join what Carol Risko, longtime member and acting president, describes as a “very friendly and very supportive” atmosphere.

Classes, demonstrations and exhibits resume in the fall, but artists continue to meet informally on Fridays to paint throughout the summer. For more information, call the center at 215-572-6855, or visit the website at www.orelandartcenter.com.