CFCC art instructor uses artwork to help build a village

CFCC Art Instructor Sharon Wozniak-Spencer is happy to share the stories behind her portraits at the Wilma W. Daniels Gallery. Walking through the gallery, she describes the people featured in the portraits. Wozniak-Spencer met each person while volunteering at The Hope Center earning the nickname the “painter lady.”

Helping Others One Paint Stroke at a Time

Motivated by a passion for helping others, Wozniak-Spencer blended her volunteer work with her graduate studies to create a series of paintings titled “Friends in Need.”

She also wanted to help make a difference in their lives and to represent those in need with dignity.

“My whole life has been this blend of caring about others and wanting to help them,” explains Wozniak-Spencer. “And the portraits naturally fit into what I was doing with my graduate thesis.”

Wozniak-Spencer met many of the portrait models at The Hope Center which serves both the homeless and those in need of assistance with food, jobs, or community services. Most of the models were people in need, but she also included the employees and one of the Hope Center founders, Randy Evans. “The biggest thing I was trying to accomplish was to illustrate the beauty of each person there.”

Painting the Whole Picture

Now, Wozniak-Spencer can again use her paintings to help people. Along with CFCC Art Instructors Ben Billingsley, Geoff Calabrese, and Jennifer Mace, Wozniak Spencer will display work in her collections to be auctioned off at the Gallery to benefit Eden Village.

Eden Village of Wilmington is a community model that builds tiny home communities for the disabled and chronically homeless. Individuals can have their own permanent home, a community center with social, mental, and health care services, and a garden center to help grow food for their community.

The artwork will be on display through Sept. 2, 2022. Each piece is for sale, and a portion of the proceeds go to Eden Village.

Long Term Investment

After the gallery auction, Wozniak-Spencer recruited other departments at CFCC to support Eden Village. In addition to the Fine Arts department, CFCC’s nursing, occupational therapy assisting, dental programs, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and the Economic and Workforce Development Division will work with Eden Village to help the community.

If you want to see the artwork available, visit the Wilma W. Daniels Gallery on Hanover Street Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. through Sept. 2, 2022.

You can also view and bid on the artwork at the link below.

Access the Exhibit and Auction