It doesn’t matter who the artist is, or how perfectly the size, shape or colors match the buyer’s home or office. Unless a piece of art speaks to you, it isn’t going to work.
Nowhere are the messages more profound than at Memories in the Making, an auction of watercolor paintings by Denver-area Alzheimer’s patients.
“Map of My Favorite Fishing Spots,” by Lloyd Snyder, who lived at Balfour Retirement Community prior to his death in 2004, is believed to have been inspired by the area around Bailey and Buffalo Creek where Snyder, a retired maintenance director for Ford Motor Co., and his wife, Elsie, had a cabin. “Don’t Make Me Cry Again” was the title of Jan Young’s entry; she was permanently disabled following a cerebral hemorrhage at age 26 and completed her painting at the Senior Resource Center in Evergreen. The whimsical “Kitty in Confetti” was by Shalom Park resident and Auschwitz survivor Goldie Rosenbaum.
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This was the 10th year for Memories in the Making, and with the help of father-and-son auctioneers Chuck and Bryson Miller, $170,000 was raised for Colorado chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Gossip,” by Aspen Village at Lowry resident James Lash, brought the highest bid for a single painting ($2,700) while E. Jean Sanders’ “Night Shoe” was paired with “Always something left behind” by artist Michelle Torrez to fetch $4,750.
Lash, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after a 29-year career with the Postal Service, attended Memories in the Making with his daughter, Edith Gray. Lash is a World War II veteran and a founder of the Metropolitan Denver Childcare Association.
Candy Meininger (Meininger’s Art Supply) chaired the event’s art committee and joined Candice Pulliam, Kay Conger, Lani Dill and Jean Black on the art selection jury. Joanne Fisher was the event manager.
Denver Bronco Jake Plummer has “adopted” the Alzheimer’s Association as one of his priority charities, and Zack Romero, executive director of the Jake Plummer Foundation, attended Memories in the Making. Jerry Buckley of the Colorado Trust and his wife, Susie, were there, too, along with such Alzheimer’s board members as Susan Barnhill, Chris Binkley, Elenora Crichlow, David Harris, Kathy Klugman, John Maxfield, Jim Prugh and Kathy Seidel.
Helen Ginsburg, founder of the AWARE auxiliary, perused the art with her husband, Morris, and Evelyn Brown of Park Place was renewing her acquaintance with the artists and family members who had been thanked at a tea held prior to the auction at the Denver retirement community.
Others in the crowd of 450 were Jean Galloway; Phyllis and Dr. Gary VanderArk; Dawn Nakamura Kessler; Diane Fatheree; Ann White;
Keith Swanson; Bob Knous and chapter president Linda Mitchell.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
