Merchantville celebrates its 150th anniversary - Art Show at the Station

For me the personal is political and it is also art! I was probably the youngest graduate of Merchantville High School Class of 1963 at 17. Not too long after, it ceased to operate as a high school. Right from high school, I went to work at W. B. Saunders Publishing Company in Philadelphia, a job I got through a high school program for the business students. It was a good, old fashioned high school that was good enough to inspire a significant number of the 150 or so graduates to become teachers, icluding me, although at a good remove in time from graduation. I didn't go to college until I was 26.

The connection with old classmates through our Reunion Group proved to be indisepnsable to me in my planning a year ago for the show that opened yesterday July 1st, at The Station - Eiland Arts Center, 10 E. Chestnut Street in Merchantville. It is the old Merchantville Railroad Depot re-purposed as a Cafe' with excellent vegetarian food, and a wonderful Art gallery that hosts group shows, special exhibitions, and recently a fundraising effort for Fishtails Animal Rescue.

When the Merchantville 150th annimversary Show was announced a long time ago, I began to think what I might like to paint for it. A classmate of mine, Butch Wetzel, was a huge train fan and remembered when trains ran along the the tracks in front of the Station, which are now a Rails to Trails bike and hike path. I told him about the show that was coming in a year (it was last year) and he said he thought he might have some old news clippings with pictures of the Station when trains still ran and he would send photo-copies of them to me. He did. I painted one feturing the Station, and another painting featuring the front of a big red train (my favorite of the two). My third painting was of the old pharmacy on the corner of Maple and Centre, which in 1963 was a soda fountain, the old fashioned kind with syrup and seltzer and paper cups in silver holders. The pharmacy wss at the back. This building always intrigued me because it was a kind of Meditteranean style with interesting red roof tiles, mosaic framing around the windows, and an unusual rose/ochre stucco surface.

Perhaps at the opening, I will meet someone who knows how old that building actually is. I don't know how old the Station is either! Actually for the first time, I kind of hope the Red Train painting doesn't sell because I like it so much, I would like to keep it! But of course, if it sells, that just inspires me to paint more and the more I paint the better I get.

I hope you can get to The Station and see the show and have a delightful and healthful lunch!

Happy Trails, Jo Ann wrightj45@yahoo.com