Special Event to Highlight the Creative Artwork of Three St. James Place Residents

Three St. James Place residents will showcase their artwork and discuss their creative processes during a reception on November 17 at La Divina ItalianCafé.

Beverly Coates, Butch Noland and June Tuma are all longtime artists who have continued to pursue their passions after moving to St. James Place. Coates is a photographer, while Noland paints watercolors and Tuma does paintings and etchings.

Coates has been a photographer for more than 20 years. Her interest led her to join a local photography club, which has helped her continue to hone her skills.

“I love the insight that photography gives you into wherever you may be or whatever you may be seeing,” she said. “I guess you can say I focus on anything interesting that catches my eye. Often, it’s a stationary subject, but sometimes I like to use a fast shutter speed to catch a little action.”

Coates said most of her photos at the event will feature architecture.

“Most of the other shows I have done have been through the photography club,” she said. “I always enjoy getting out and talking to people about how they see what is photographed.”

For Noland, what could have been a ruined vacation in the 1970s ended up leading him to watercolor painting. He and his wife traveled to a North Carolina resort intending to play tennis for most of the trip. Those plans were canceled because of heavy rains, but the resort had watercolor classes, which the couple attended. Since then, they have painted on a regular basis.

“We love to travel, and painting has been one way to enhance the enjoyment of traveling,” he said. “I love seeing different sights and then coming home to paint those, either from memory, photos or a combination of both. You get home and think about what was pretty or interesting or unusual about what you saw. Often, we emphasize certain aspects or change it a bit to enhance the feeling we felt when we saw something or someplace for the first time.”

Noland said he and his wife both appreciate that they have been able to continue with their hobby since moving to St. James Place eight years ago.

“They have been very supportive in helping us find places to paint and times to do it,” he said. “We also have fun showing our work to the other residents, and it’s nice to see them enjoy it.”

Tuma has also continued her artistic practice at St. James Place, converting the porch of her garden home into a studio. The setup allows her to embrace her passion for art that began when she was a young child.

I can remember painting even before I could read and write very well,” she said. “For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed painting and drawing and coloring. I got into watercolors in high school and I’ve worked with those ever since.”

After graduating high school, Tuma enrolled at LSU as a fine arts major, but later changed to psychology. She went on to earn multiple degrees and worked as a psychology professor until her retirement in 1993. Fulfilling a promise she made to herself, she re-enrolled at LSU in 2000 as an art student and earned her fine arts degree at the age of 72.

“That experience helped me expanded my horizons because as an art student, you have to work with different materials,” she said. “I did sculpture and printmaking in addition to painting and drawing. It was a wonderful experience.”

At St. James Place, Tuma often helps other residents with their artwork. She painted a background for another painting and did a watercolor portrait of a close friend. Tuma also encourages others at St. James Place to embrace their own artistic spirits.

“They have an exhibit here all the time and change things about every three months,” she said. “I’m always telling people to participate and show their work. I think it’s a wonderful outlet.”

The St. James Place Artist Reception will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at La Divina Italian Café, 3535 Perkins Road, No. 360. The reception will include live jazz guitar with Dorothy LeBlanc, wine and hors d’oeuvres.

St. James Place offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Nursing Care and Memory Care. A custom Life Plan is available for Independent Living residents that ensures a lifetime of residency and care at a predictable cost.

This article was written and published by The Advocate.

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