Adapted from Artist Spotlight, Written by Chris Lee
Welcome to March's installment of The Artist Spotlight! Each month, the Medway Cultural Council will ask a Medway artist questions about their artwork. This month, we will put the spotlight on Art Lee, a local painter with a mission. Arthur Lee is an artist that suffers from Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsonism. As the name implies, Arthur endures Parkinson-like shaking and unsteadiness in his limbs. But Arthur does not let his illness prevent him from engaging in his love of oil painting. For a better understanding of Lewy Body Dementia and a personal account from Art's wife, Chris, check out her recent blog post where she gives a glimpse into what it's been like for her and Art during the pandemic.
Arthur Lee rises each day with a mission: to create a unique piece of art that is reflective of his mood of the day. This can lead to some fantastical, whimsical pieces, as well as peaceful, in-depth, thought provoking paintings. Art has created paintings of celebrities, landscapes, animals, family members, and unique abstracts.
There are days where holding a paintbrush is too challenging for Arthur. On those days, he has been known to simply dip his fingers into the paint and experiment on the canvas. One of his most prized paintings is a dramatic recreation of the Eilean Donan Castle, in the Scottish Highlands, the site of a cherished memory of a family vacation with Arthur’s family ten years ago.
Recently he was invited to participate in the Deerfield Valley Art Association’s pandemic mask contest. Art placed first in the People’s Choice Award, and third in the overall art contest. All of the paintings featured a mask somewhere in the painting; Art took this to a new level, creating an oil painting of Whistler’s Mother wearing a mask (third place overall), and a rendition of the famed Norman Rockwell Self Portrait (People’s Choice Award). This was incredibly validating to this talented artist who struggles daily with his illness.
Eilean Donan Castle, in the Scottish Highlands
Arthur has enjoyed three previous art shows at the Patriot Place Artist Studio and Gallery, in Foxboro. The gallery has always been supportive of Arthur, donating space without charging a fee to the artist. Arthur’s art shows have all been fundraisers for the Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA). Each art show has been incredibly successful, allowing for thousands of dollars to be donated to the LBDA as a result. Sadly, in 2020 there was no art show due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are hopeful for 2021 to return to the gallery for another art show.
