Artist of the Month: Jill Swersie

Posted on April 2, 2025 by The Dunmorean

Dunmore Activity Hub or Dunmore Senior Center has seen a resurgence in interest in its painting class. Each month, The Dunmorean will introduce you to these talented artists and their artwork.

By Dolly Michalczyk

For over 32 years, the extremely talented and very patient Jill Swersie has served as the art teacher at the Dunmore Senior Center.

As a child, Jill could always be found dabbling in the arts – drawing, painting and creating. She has been painting most of her adult life, taking many classes and workshops through the years, and adding an art studio to her Pocono Mountains home, where she even held youth classes for a while. Jill has done shows and displays in galleries in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Thirty-two years ago, the former Dunmore instructor was leaving and asked Jill to continue the program, to which she reluctantly agreed. She grew to love the students and nurturing their talent. Occasionally, Jill will hold formal painting and drawing classes, teaching various techniques and allowing her students to practice them. Her usual approach is more hands-on, sitting with each individual student, demonstrating, and offering tips and suggestions for them to improve their work. Her students are mostly oil painters, although a few prefer to work in acrylics and watercolors. Jill enthusiastically shares, “We have a really great group of students, with some of them coming to the class for years. Everyone is very supportive of each other.”

Jill exhibits in several galleries in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has done many solo and group shows. Recently she participated in “Just Jills,” an unlikely event where seven artists named Jill displayed their works. For three months this spring, beginning May 1, she will be having a solo exhibit at the Hughes Monroe County Library where she will display and rotate 15 paintings.

An active volunteer, Jill curates the Gallery at 530 Main, in Stroudsburg, and the Dutot Museum, in Delaware Water Gap.

Her local class meets every Monday from noon – 4:00. The Dunmore Senior Center charges $5 a session, paying only when one attends, and students supply their own materials. The group accepts donations of used painting supplies- paint, brushes, canvases, easels, etc. and has donated new supplies to the NEPA Youth Shelter.

Our sunny Jill shared this positive philosophy: “Art is what makes the world a better place.”

Artist of the Month: Ruth Boyles

Posted on September 1, 2021 by The Dunmorean

Ruth Boyles, the September Artist of the Month, is shown with one of her paintings

By Ruth Boyles

For years I had thought maybe there was an artist inside me that just needed to be taught how.

One year, David Smith, a wonderful artist friend of mine and I were doing some work on Grace Bible Church’s “Living Nativity,” and he invited me to come to a painting class at the Dunmore Senior Center.

I went, not knowing anything about art except that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought I was just going to learn to paint, which I did. But more than that I found many new friends. People I have grown to love.

I have immensely enjoyed my last nine years at what is presently called the Dunmore Activity Center. In our sketch class, we have dabbled with watercolors, acrylics, pastels, charcoal on different surfaces, pen and ink, and during the painting time, most of us work with oils.

We appreciate the help of our teacher, Jill Swersie, as she has very unselfishly given of herself to teach us how to make our paintings take on new dimensions and lives of their own. We look forward to having her back full time when the Covid business is over.

For now we are learning from each other. I have been working on a “commission” of a barn which I especially enjoy painting for someone in the area. It is special to this person because it was built during the Civil War.

The red barn was painted during a plein air painting day for our class in Scott Run, Pa.

Artist of the Month: Dolly Michalczyk

Posted on July 7, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Dolly Michalczyk

Painting classes at the DCC have provided us with a creative outlet, contact with other like-minded folks, and friendships. For a year-and-a-half our classes had been cancelled.

At first, classmate Bev Petrini and I would paint outside, while a few of our braver classmates painted as a group. Then it just got too cold.

One would think that with all our free time we would have been painting up a storm, but in reality, most of us did nothing on our own. Perhaps that speaks to the power of the group, or the need for our teacher’s input, or in my case, my laziness to drag out all I would need to paint in my dining room. I did take a few online drawing and watercolor classes through The Greenhouse Project, as well as creative writing.

I missed my friends and colleagues and our terrific teacher Jill Swersie. May was my first time back. Returning, it was wonderful to see a few dedicated painters, a few new faces, and even greater to hear of the return of our class on June 6.

In reality, my only work in oils during this quarantine was touching up a huge commissioned piece of Long Island, as seen in the photo. It is an abstract representation of that seaside area. This is my first attempt at abstract painting, and while I enjoyed the freedom, I enjoy realism or impressionism best.

I am currently working on a painting of my grand-puppies, my youngest granddaughter, Kara, in a dance recital, and my oldest granddaughter, Maura, running cross country.

Being back at the Dunmore Hub has been a joy. We truly motivate each other.