The Galleries at First Pres will offer an opening reception for a new Summer Show on Sunday, July 11, 2021, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. The show will feature the works of local artists Linda Irwin, Pat deRobertis, and Lolly Walton. The Sebastian River Art Club will also present artwork by the late Rosalee Hume. The galleries are located throughout the campus of First Presbyterian Church at 520 Royal Palm Boulevard in Vero Beach. Admission is free. The church campus is open, and those who are fully vaccinated against COVID19 need not wear masks.

Linda Irwin studied fine arts at Stetson University. While raising her young children, she used some of these skills to help them make gifts, science projects, and posters. (All the “Mommy” things.) Linda also enjoyed assisting her yacht-broker husbands’ clients with decorating their yachts. With three children in college, she returned to the job market, working in both the retail and non-profit sector. While serving as The Development Director at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale (Now the Nova Southwestern Art Museum) she rekindled her love of art. She enjoyed meeting many famous and not-so-famous artists. Upon her retirement she became a docent and started to enroll in art classes and workshops. Currently, Linda is a Docent-in-training at the Vero Beach Museum of Art and active in the Sebastian River Art Club, and the Art Guild at Indian River Estates. A self-proclaimed “art class junkie”, Linda enjoys experimenting with various mediums and techniques. She also enjoys the socialization and sharing of ideas with other artists. Linda hopes you like her work, or not…she works for the fun of creating, and the wonderful people it brings to her life.

Pat deRobertis is a Florida native who growing up in tropical Miami and summering in Hendersonville, North Carolina. She took workshops and classes in many mediums with many teachers over the years. She attended Florida State University the Sorbonne and is a Graduate Gemologist from the GIA. She and her husband, Frank, owned Italian Connection, importing gold jewelry from Italy for over thirty years. After a lifetime of business and world travel, she retired to Vero Beach in 2002 and began taking classes at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Her current favorite mediums include pen and ink, watercolor, alcohol inks, melted crayon, and painting on silk. Pat is part of the thriving Vero Beach art community as a member of Vero Beach Museum of Art, The Vero Beach Art Club, The Sebastian River Art Club, and the Florida Watercolor Society.

Lolly Walton’s colorful depictions of various subjects reflects what she loves to do best: capture everything in watercolor. Palms, statues, plants, landscapes, seascapes, and more keep her busy. She uses lots of color and detail in her works. Walton has been painting since 1997 after taking lessons from various art teachers in Miami and Melbourne. “Every day is a new day when it comes to watercolor!”, she says. When Lolly is not creating, she loves sharing the joy of watercolor with others. She currently holds classes on “Watercolor Techniques for Beginners” at the Sebastian River Art Club.

Rosalee T. Hume was a lifelong resident of the Treasure Coast.  Born on November 15, 1912 in Roseland, FL, she moved with her family to Sebastian in 1917, and Micco, FL in 1941.  Rosalee was a respected artist in the community. She studied at Ringling School of Art, Florida State College for Women, and University of Florida.  She was a founding member of Sebastian River Art Club, and an active member with Vero Beach Art Club and Museum, Brevard Art Center, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Her sculptures and paintings depict the Seminole and Osceola people and their life, influenced by family holidays with a Seminole Guide, Willie John, and his inclusion of the Indian culture to their celebrations. Over one hundred bronze sculptures and thirty-five paintings have been gifted to the SRAC. Rosalee passed away December 17, 2010. The Sebastian River Art Club created a scholarship in her honor, awarded to a student pursuing a career in the arts.  Recently her two daughters, Ellen Schmidt, and Rosemary Hume, donated a number of Rosalee’s oil paintings and bronze sculptures to the Sebastian River Art Club (SRAC). In the spirit of sharing Rosalee’s work with the world, the SRAC will facilitate a traveling exhibit throughout the Treasure Coast starting with the Galleries at First Pres. Rosalee also created the life size sculpture of Paul Kroegel overlooking the Indian River Lagoon in Riverside Park, and her work has been displayed at the White House for one of their Christmas Tree decorations.

The Galleries at First Pres feature a wide variety of works by local artists, on rotation throughout the year. The Galleries are located throughout the campus of First Presbyterian Church, 520 Royal Palm Boulevard, Vero Beach; they are open for viewing from 12pm to 3pm Monday through Thursday, and on Sunday mornings between church services. Admission is free and open to the community. Unvaccinated individuals are asked to wear a mask and socially distance while on the church campus.