Artist of the Month: Marie Barbuti

Posted on April 3, 2019 by The Dunmorean

Artist of the Month - Marie Barbuti Marie Barbuti has been named the April Artist of the Month from the Dunmore Activity Hub.

“Since 1992, I have had the privilege of being part of the oil painting class at the Dunmore Senior Center, “ Marie says. “First it was located on Chestnut Street, and then became part of the Dunmore Community Center on Monroe Avenue.”

Marie usually paints a variety of subjects, most of them out of her imagination, and a few from photos of nature. She loves doing portraits of people and animals, and she has given several of those paintings away to friends and family.

“Painting at the center, whatever your choice—oil, watercolor or acrylic, is a delight,” Marie reports. “If you help with a problem area, our instructor, Jill Swersie, is always pleasant and willing to help you. The students are great—very friendly, and everyone is supportive of each other’s works.”

Ms. Swersie resides in the Poconos, and travels to be at the center every Monday from noon to 4 p.m. A free sketching class is offered from noon to 1 p.m.

Class members participate in several shows a year, with food, drink, and sometimes live music, and many of the artists have sold their paintings.

“Painting is a wonderful and inexpensive therapy,” Marie points out. “Please don’t feel you have to be a Michelangelo, DaVinci, or Kinkade to join our class. All you have to do is want to try something new in a relaxed atmosphere, have fun and make some friends.”

Artist of the Month: Dolly Michalczyk

Posted on March 6, 2019 by The Dunmorean

Dolly Michalczyk has often been inspired by her travels and by her grandchildren, Maura, Joel, and Kara. Here she poses with some of their paintings, shown clockwise: The Wedding-Italy 2016; Sugarplum Fairies, Ships Ahoy, We Are Family; First Recital, Kara; All-Star Joel, and Beach Baby Maura.

Dolly Michalczyk, the March Artist of the Month at the Dunmore Activity Hub, has enjoyed art appreciation, drawing and sketching since her youth. Two of her favorite memories are Impressionist Art tours in Paris and Provence, France, with her husband, Joe.

Dolly says that she was always afraid of the permanence of oil painting until encouraged by painter Mary Ann McClenaghan to begin painting at the Dunmore Senior Center.

Under the direction of teacher Jill Swersie, she learned that “you can always paint over it” and correct mistakes when using oils. She has been painting with the group since her retirement from social work in 2009, and has participated in many First Fridays, art shows and exhibitions–even selling a few of her paintings!

Dolly says, “Jill’s knowledge and guidance are key to the program, but her support and friendship is an added bonus. Her phone calls, cheery hand-drawn get well cards and posters of her artists, signed by members of the class have nurtured many through surgeries, illnesses, and hard times.”

Through the class, Dolly has made many new friends and reunited with old ones–even long lost pals from South Scranton Junior High School who moved from the area many years ago, Jan Mountford Lauer and Mary K. Massenkeil White.

This is the fourth year of this column featuring local artists and art which Dolly originated, at the suggestion of fellow painter Joe Bartos. Dolly schedules the artists, based on their longevity in the class, collects and edits their data, often writing their stories and even photographing them, before submitting their information to the Dunmorean.

Dolly’s travels and her family serve as constant sources of inspiration and pride, particularly her grandchildren, Maura, Joel, and Kara Dolly is thankful to Alison Boga, executive director of the Dunmore Senior Center for all she does for the group, Jill Swersie for her talent, insight, and encouragement, and to Maureen Hart, editor of the Dunmorean, for her interest and support in printing this feature.

Seniors are invited to Jill’s sketching class at noon on Mondays and to her oil painting class at 1 p.m. at the Dunmore Center.

Artist of the Month: Jill Swersie

Posted on December 5, 2018 by The Dunmorean

Dunmore Senior Center’s art teacher, Jill Swersie, is featured as Artist of the Years this month.

We are proud to feature the Dunmore Senior Center’s art teacher, Jill Swersie, this month and as our favorite Artist of the Years! Jill teaches weekly oil painting classes at the Dunmore Senior Citizen Center.

In addition to her talent and artistic credits, Jill is a very special person. She comes to class early and stays late and provides an additional drawing class, at no charge. She is constantly offering the Center exposure to additional media like charcoal, watercolor, sculpture, scratchboard, etc.

Jill personally connects to all of the students and is well aware of the trials and tribulations in their lives. She reaches out to her students in need with personal phone calls, handmade cards and greetings signed by class members, and follows up on their progress.

In class, Jill meets with us individually and offers us artistic advice in order to improve our pieces. She instinctively knows when a “dab of Alizarin Crimson” or ”highlights of Cadmium Yellow” are needed and passes along those techniques and that knowledge. Jill is our #1 cheerleader, encouraging us, promoting the arts, and arranging at least two art shows a year for us to exhibit our works.

She and her charming husband, Jack, even host an annual class picnic at her lovely home in the Poconos, and has provided en plein air classes for us in her area.

Professionally, Jill has been oil painting for over 35 years. Her work has been exhibited in art galleries and at shows in New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Her paintings have been seen at almost every local art venue, and her exhibition awards are numerous. Her first mural, “Art of the Dance”, can be seen in downtown Stroudsburg, and her latest mural greets patrons as they enter East Stroudsburg’s Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center.

As one of five artists selected for Adams Outdoor Advertising’s ArtPop Exhibition, a larger-than-life copy of her oil painting “Man’s Best Friend” was seen on billboards throughout the Pocono region in 2016.

More of Jill’s artwork can be seen at here.

Jill has become not only our teacher but also our mentor, our sounding board, and our friend.

Thanks, Jill, and Happy New Year from your devoted students.