Flamingo by Barbara Bishop
Gallery Installation
"A Celebration of Women"
Featuring:
Barbara Bishop
Judy Bugarella
Weldon Stout (extended)
Opening Reception:
Sunday, July 13, 2025
1pm-3pm
Night Blooming Cereu by Judy Burgarella
Path to the Beach by Weldon Stout
The Galleries at First Pres began in January of 2017 and was founded by Dr. Jacob Craig, with Peter and Carole Coe as curators. Their mission is to feature a wide variety of works by local artists, on rotation quarterly throughout the year. The Galleries are located throughout the campus of First Presbyterian Church. They are open for viewing from 12pm to 3pm, Monday through Thursday. Guided tours can be made available upon request. Admission is free and open to the community.
Our current curator is Mrs. Susan "Suze" Lavender. Suze was born and raised on the south shore of Long Island, NY. Her two loves were always Art and the Sea. She loves to draw and paint moments to release emotions. Although she has never been formally trained in Art, except for the odd class in a variety of different mediums, her art shows a natural talent and beauty that exhibits a deep love and the heart and soul she puts into her work. Since meeting and studying under Frits Van Eeden in the last five years, she feels that he has opened up a window of what could be. Suze’s art now has the energy, emotion, color, and passion that she’s always strived to put on canvas. Suze says, “I have been an artist my entire life, but I have had no formal training until recently. I knew I had so much to say and had no idea how to transfer my thoughts onto canvas. There was a time when I viewed photographic and detailed production as the epitome of artistry. Gratefully, that is no longer the case. My New York upbringing is especially present in my cityscapes, and I've discovered how to communicate my ideas emotionally through textures, color choice, and subject. I've yet to travel the world however my paintings have created a world for me.”
Our Artist in Residence, Sheila Lougheed, has some of her artwork displayed throughout campus. Her most recent religious-inspired works can be found lining the stairwell of the Center for Christian Life- a 7-painting series that was created live during Sunday services in the Lenten Season of 2018. Each piece represents a different theme during the period of Lent. The final work of this series is a 12-foot tall painting of a dove to represent to resurrection and rebirth of Christ.
Barbara Bishop
was born in Indiana, but has also lived in Ohio and Michigan. In 2018 she and her husband moved from Indiana to Sebastian, FL.
Barbara knew she wanted to be an artist since first grade. She received a degree in graphic and commercial art in 1972. After graduating, as sometimes happens, life got in the way. Eventually, Barbara ended up in the mortgage field for 30 years, finally retiring in 2022.
After retiring, Barbara began watercolor classes with Therese Ferguson in Melbourne, FL. Additionally, she takes classes with Jean Archibald, through the Sebastian River Art Club. She gains a unique perspective from each.
Barbara is a member of the Sebastian River Art Club, and the Brevard Watercolor Society.
2024 AWARDS
2nd Place for “Dahlia” - Sebastian Art Club Member’s Show
Emerging Artist Merit Award for “Goofy” - Brevard Watercolor Society Member’s Show, Splash - House of Lights
1st Place People’s Choice Award for “Leader of the Pack” - Sebastian River Art Club, Beautiful Lagoon Show (in conjunction with Earth Day)
2025 AWARDS
3rd Place for “A Crabby Trio” - Sebastian Art Club Member’s Show
Mary Salvage Memorial Award and the House of Lights Artist Choice Award for “Tuba Tunes” - Brevard Watercolor Society Member’s Show -”SPLASH”
2nd Place, People’s Choice Award for “A Crabby Trio” - Sebastian River Art Club, Beautiful Lagoon Show
Judy Burgarella
studied under renowned artists in Connecticut and Florida and has taught painting and drawing privately and to groups and institutions for over 20 years. She is currently a faculty member at the Vero Beach Museum of Art and offers private and group lessons in various mediums and subjects. She is available for commissions, demonstrations and lectures in person and via Zoom.
Judy founded the Shoreline Plein air Painters of Connecticut and has and served as President of the Sebastian River Art Club in Florida, in addition to serving as Board Member and Public Arts Chair and publicity Chair for several arts organizations. She has had numerous solo exhibitions, and has exhibited in galleries, museums and group shows, earning many awards for her work. Judy’s art resides in numerous private, public and corporate collections in the US and Abroad, and her mural work can be seen at the Vero Beach Community Center, the Oceanic Research and Conservation Association in Vero Beach, and in private collections. More of her work, including instructional videos, can be seen on-line by Googling her name.
Artist's Statement
Art is part of my DNA. I see everything through the eyes of an artist, and I hope to impart the value of this glorious gift to those whom I teach. The more I guide people in their painting life—teaching them the value and joy of creating art—the deeper I appreciate the inspired excitement of each new painting.
Weldon Stout
Weldon Joseph Stout can't remember when he couldn't draw. As a young teenager, he attended freehand sketching classes at the Maryland Institute of Art and has been drawing ever since.
His professional career began as an illustrator for the Glen L. Martin Company, Baltimore, Maryland in the Research and Development section and later as an illustrator for the Bendix Corporation in Towson, Maryland. He was assigned to the Art Department. When asked to participate in the formation of a new Human Engineering Group, he attended Johns Hopkins University to study human psychology in engineering and began a career change as an Industrial Designer, designing controls and displays for the cockpits of general aviation and transport aircraft. Stout was again invited to set up an Art Department to accommodate the needs of two newly relocated divisions of the Bendix Avionics Group in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and subsequently became their Art Director. This position prevailed until early retirement in 1980.
Upon retirement, Stout created his own Graphics Arts business and at the same time began designing art for the Stained Glass Industry. His 30 years of excellence as an artist, illustrator and industrial designer,
as applied to this medium, was the most exciting and fulfilling period of his career.
In 1987, Stout retired again and relocated to a small fishing village, known as Sebastian on the East Coast of Florida, built a home,
workshop and studio in which he enjoyed his two loves until his death at 94 in 2013.