For participants at the Blue House Art Studio, Gary Arnder was a fixture on class days. He began as a participant in the activities held at the space on North Main Street in Mount Airy, and his presence is going to be missed.
Arnder passed away unexpectedly March 11 and is now being remembered by members of the artistic community he was a part of.
A recent tribute penned by Wendy Tatman, the Blue House Art Studio director, noted “his generous and sweet spirit as he encouraged and supported other student-artists.”
The Blue House Art Studio vision is one of getting special needs adults involved within the community by means of art therapy. The studio was once a place where he learned and grew in artistic endeavors, later he was the one supporting other artists.
“He has been an avid supporter of the program since its inception. After starting as a student, his skills led him to help others in both art and music classes. Students especially appreciated his guidance and enthusiastic support,” Tatman said.
She had known Arnder since coming to the Blue House Art Studio in 2011 and saw Arnder to be generous with his time. “He did many art projects, small and large, for friends who needed help, or might be ill, or discouraged. Or simply as gifts.”
Later a member of their board at the studio, he assisted in the repair of their attic floor as well as a “host of work and repair projects,” she said. His efforts were noticed by others, “Seemed like he’d do anything needed for Blue House,” Lisa Visek noted.
The old adage says never judge a book by its cover and tends to be good advice. “He may have looked like someone you would cross the street from,” Tatman joked with a smile last week as she noted his appearance with “hippie hair,” as she called it.
A little long hair may be par for the course for a musician who develop some chops alongside Chazz Elstone, also a member of the studio’s board, who helped show Arnder the ropes of percussion, the sticks and cymbals too as are required. Arnder took his talents on the road and was often a performer with the Scoops band on Thursday nights in their mini amphitheater.
Music though was not his only talent, Tatman noted a special skill was his ability to draw with both hands at the same time. Arnder impressed her by using both hands while using different colors and drawing different shapes simultaneously.
His eye for copying pictures in great detail, and also his experimentation with different media and techniques, impressed her. Some of his work was on display for a reception that was held last week for friends and family after Arnder’s funeral service at Moody’s in Mount Airy.
He was generous of his talents as Visek described two Arnder pieces she received. “I have two beautiful drawings he did and for me, they are Egyptian man and woman. Very well done.”
She also recalled of a special gift she made just for him. “I wrapped a big crystal for him to wear once. I know he was more a soft-spoken Christian, but he commented once on one of mine and I just had to wrap one for him.”
Tatman says she will miss him and hopes to find new volunteers like Arnder. In discussing what traits are needed in someone who could help, Tatman, a retired teacher, said she had not been an art teacher. A desire to help and gentle soul just like Arnder’s are all that is required to help the students at the Blue House.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com