“SHE WAS A WARM BLANKET AROUND OUR HEART”

-Sam Feldman

Please join Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery Friday, June 7th from 7:00-9:00pm to celebrate and observe the artistic life of an extraordinary woman, Gretchen Feldman.

Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, in partnership with the American Visionary Art Museum and the National Widowers Organization is proud to present this solo exhibition, the first in the Gallery’s annual commitment to present an exhibition commemorating an artist, or artists and their creative response to living with cancer. It is the mission of the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery’s to raise awareness and foster wellness to the artistic arena. This annual show will underscore this important purpose.

Gretchen enjoyed a robust professional and family life with her husband Sam and their two daughters Leigh and Dene. Known for her intellect, as well as her whimsy and wonderful sense of humor, Gretchen’s passion for art history and textiles permeated her life.  Gretchen worked professionally in the restoration of textiles for museums in Baltimore, but she always found time to design and make clothes for her children.

In the midst of their productive lives, Gretchen and Sam decided to relocate to Martha's Vineyard MA. The lush landscape and the majestic ocean views motivated her transition into a new adventure of painting and gardening. This change created an artistic explosion of color and light. Gretchen visited the studio for hours at a time only leaving to “come up for air”. Gretchen generated hundreds of vibrantly colored works - watercolors, gouache and mixed media - in numerous styles, paralleling her desire to explore to her craft.

At the age of 72, Gretchen was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. In the wake of this painful and challenging news, Gretchen's artistic process helped her to navigate through the intense challenge of cancer. Her artwork - initially an expression of external love and nature - morphed into an internal examination of her journey. Gretchen is no longer with us, but we are fortunate to have her life’s work carry on.

We are proud to feature this artistic display of Gretchen Feldman's work in Washington DC.  We hope you will join us at the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts for a reception hosted by the Feldman family.