Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com 

 

SALISBURY — You are never too old to show off your skills. 

The annual Silver Arts Showcase was held May 29 in the newly renovated Rowan Community Center on Jake Alexander Boulevard West in Salisbury.

Up from last year, Jeremy Bates, Senior Games coordinator with the Rowan County Parks and Recreation, said they had 177 entries this year.

People came by the center to see the various entries on display, and as they looked, comments of beautiful work could be heard.

Local artist Jim Tonseth was there and said that this exhibit “shows the level of competency of artists in this county,” noting that the composition, details, technique and skill levels are very high.

Not only were the various arts on display, but multiple televisions were hanging on the wall and these were running photos of the athletes participating in the senior games as well.

“We’ve had a great season and didn’t get any rain outs and everything got in as far as our sports goes,” Bates said.

He added that they had a good day for the showcase so far as well.

The exhibit was open for people to see from 2-6 p.m. after which he said there would be an end of the year dinner for the games and arts participants. During this time, the performing artists would provide a show.

Bates said that in the past, this has been a one-day event; however, he said that his goal is to extend it and make the event longer.  

Artist Cherrathee Hager pointed out one of her entries, a lizard on a piece of bark, which she had picked up from her yard.

She said there had been a very bad storm and the piece of bark had blown off a tree. She was cleaning up the yard and as she picked it up, she said, “I think I can paint something on this.”

There was a wide variety of works in multiple categories. Gold, silver and bronze medals were placed on the winning pieces as they were exhibited.

Categories included: food, pastels, oil paintings, acrylics, drawings, film and digital photography, woodturning, woodcarving and woodworking, mixed media 2D and 3D, digital art, machine- and hand-stitched quilting, knitting, crocheting, jewelry, stained glass, dolls, general fiber arts, needlework, garments, hats, bags and scarves, plants, silk flowers, greeting cards, printed kits, and literary entries of life experiences, poems and essays. There were also entries of paintings from Trinity Living Center’s adult day care, which was added this year.

Bates said that he was glad that everything had worked out for this day.

“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into it. There’s a staff of four of us and we all chip in and work as hard as we can.”

Those four, in addition to Bates, include Bayli Cook, Cynthia Hoffman and Lea Miller.

 “Just to see everybody enjoying it in the end is the gratitude of it, to see success,” he said.