Thirty local artists, mostly Northwest Philadelphia residents and members of the Northwest Village Network (NVN), will present an exhibition at the Center on the Hill in September. Featuring collage, painting, drawing, mixed media, and photography, the artists’ experiences range from lifetime professionals to a few artistic newcomers.

Fran Gilmore, a member of the NVN art show planning committee, told the Local, “I’m very excited to see the wide range of media and styles of the art in this show, ranging from meticulously painted representational works to big, free, abstract painting. It is wonderful to see how much talent our members have.” The show will be at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, the home base of Center on the Hill, a program of activities and resources aimed at active adults

NVN is also a community of active older adults, most from Northwest Philadelphia. The group offers educational and social programs as well as supportive services. NVN is part of the nationwide Village to Village Network, a membership-driven, volunteer-run, grassroots nonprofit organization. There are now more than 250 U.S. villages associated with the network.

A creative cross-section

One artist, Ron Lieberman of West Mt. Airy, enjoyed a 40-year career as an illustrator, including providing images for the Arts and Leisure section of the New York Times. He said, “My newest artworks are oil pastel drawings that reflect the pop art and cubism movements, combining bountiful colors, geometrics, flowers, and typography with common household objects.”

Sara Allen, a photographer and 58-year Mt. Airy resident, taught middle and upper school English at Springside School (now Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) for 33 years until her retirement in 2006. Allen’s work is distinctive, maybe even unique. Many of her photos are closeups of what she has described as her “naturally aging body.”

Regarding the Center on the Hill show, Allen said, “I have two black and white self-portraits: one of my neck, another of the palm of one hand. They are images meant to show the textures, shapes, contours of the body of an older person. It’s mostly about textures and shapes in the natural world. This is an ongoing project showing how beautiful the aging body can be.”

Daune Marie, of Ambler, told the Local, “I joined NVN earlier this year so that I could get to know active people my age. The show turns that simple wish into an expansive dream. ... I am also going to be teaching a couple of art classes at Center on the Hill this fall, and so it also gives me a chance to get to know the people who make up that community as well.”

Sreemati Ghosh, of Montgomeryville, said, “Seventeen years ago I took classes at Cheltenham Adult School, and since then I have been painting landscapes, flowers, trees, fruits, birds, and humans. Painting is always a meditative experience for me. I find joy and peace of mind through this form of art.”

One might say that Mt. Airy’s Dr. Claire EB. Robinson is the unicorn out of the 30 participating artists. A 1979 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, this OB/GYN retired in 2021 after 42 years of practicing medicine.

After retiring as a doctor, Robinson immersed herself in photography. “I have devoted much of my time to improving my eye and skill in photography,” she said. “I regularly exhibit in Northwest Philadelphia, and I am a member of the cooperative 3rd Street Gallery. My subjects are varied, but I have a true love of black and white photography.”

Robert Cox, of West Mt. Airy, is a retired occupational therapist who calls his artwork “a serious hobby.” Once a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Cox declined to make art a full-time career “to make a living.” Working mostly in acrylics and oil pastels, his figures, landscapes, and still-lifes have appeared in numerous exhibits with the Plastic Club, a volunteer-run nonprofit that has supported local artists for 128 years.

Margot Lawler, of Chestnut Hill, said, “I am a self-taught artist. I work from my imagination, exploring myself with each painting. I just want people to see my work. I’ve never shown it publicly before.”

The NVN show runs from Sept. 2 to 30 at the Center on the Hill in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave. NVN will host a reception on Friday, Sept. 12, 4-6 p.m. For more information, call 267-571-9697, visit northwestvillagenetwork.org, or email nvnphilly@gmail.com.

Len Lear can be reached at LenLear@chestnuthilllocal.com.