Arts & Entertainment
Fort Lee Seniors Captivate Locals with Watercolor Artwork
A reception displaying the artwork of 16 students of Florence Katz at the Senior Center in Fort Lee draws attention and praise from friends and family. The exhibit at the Fort Lee Public Library continues for the rest of June.
Students from watercolor classes offered at the surprised the community with the caliber of their artwork at a public reception Wednesday. The reception and exhibit featured works by senior citizens under the guidance of instructor and Fort Lee resident Florence Katz.
According to Katz, her classes derive inspiration from history as well as art. The impressionist and abstract movements, among others, influence the fluidity in the seniors’ work. For an even more in-depth study of the different artistic techniques and genres, the group takes day-long trips to nearby museums and displays, including Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, the Asia Society in Manhattan, Newark Museum and Montclair Museum.
The purpose of the class is for each student to harness an understanding of their individualized artistic sense and direction, as opposed to simply emulating an artist’s work. In that respect, seniors have the privilege of producing artwork that is characteristic of their respective tastes.
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“I want for each of them to try and develop an individual style that comes easily and comfortably for each person,” said Katz. “We endeavor to learn more techniques and tricks to further develop that style.”
The watercolor class, offered on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, was a spur of the moment idea that manifested itself and its potential for success over the course of eight years.
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Although she was an aspiring art teacher or illustrator during her high school years, Katz didn't established a career in either of those fields. Instead she opted for a future in business. While taking a sculpture class at the Fort Lee Senior Center, she decided the class was not for her because of the danger that clay dust posed for her respiratory problems.
Undaunted, she walked into the director’s office and offered to teach watercolor classes, seeing as how she had already taken many workshops in the medium.
“I asked, ‘Do you need a watercolor teacher?’ and she said, ‘Yes, absolutely; when can you start?’” Katz said. “It was just a spontaneous idea that’s been going ever since.”
Crissa Skarimbas, the director of the senior center, said the cohesion in the class and the respect that the seniors have for one another are amazing.
“She’s a mother hen with all of them,” Skarimbas said of Katz. “They do such fantastic work, even though some of them have never painted before in their lives. They respect each other and they respect Florence, so there’s a nice unity to the class.”
Skarimbas expressed her hope that Katz’s class will gain more students in the future.
“We would love to have to move her to a bigger room and find space for them,” she said. “We want the seniors to be happy and we want them to feel fulfilled in the classes that they take.”
The exhibit features work by Norma Lema, Susan Tang, Rita Hantman, Maria Slaflas, Penny Bambrough, Susie Lukman, Catherine Lee, Esther Hyun, Doris (Dongjoo) Kim, Chuck Bloom, Roslyn Levine, Doris Zinbarg, Rita Lenertz, Phenny Bu, Renee Carduner and Cho Yong Kim.
Students are attracted to the course for an array of reasons, ranging from the flexibility of the class, to its inherent therapeutic qualities.
“I had done some watercolor years ago and wanted to get back into it,” said Rita Lenertz, a retired Fort Lee resident whose pieces on display were completed over the course of just one year.
Penny Bambrough, another student from Fort Lee, says she has been attending classes on and off.
“I finish a piece that I’m pleased with about once a month,” she said. “I like the flexibility of the class because it allows us to work at our own pace.”
For Roslyn Levine, a resident of Fort Lee and one of Katz’s students, her love of painting and the soothing qualities of the class environment are among the reasons she has chosen to continue with the class for two years.
“It’s very much therapeutic,” Levine said. “All you do is just concentrate on the painting and forget about everything else. I’m very proud of all the paintings and all of the wonderful artists.”
Katz, who has been teaching the class for eight years, continues her Wednesday and Friday afternoon sessions simply because of her love for her students and everything they have accomplished. She says it’s satisfying to see the results, and she takes pride in the therapeutic elements of the class.
“I have gained so much joy from doing that that it’s indescribable, really,” Katz said. “They forget about everything once they’re immersed in their work, and it’s really great for everybody.”
Editor's note: The exhibit continues in the 's lower-level gallery through the end of the month.