They may not be many, but the five oil paintings that comprise Maureen Lemko’s ongoing exhibit are certainly memorable. The artist colorfully depicts a quintet of familiar scenes in her work hanging through April at the Liverpool Public Library lobby.
All artists aspire to show us our world through a new pair of eyes, and Maureen succeeds as she brings a fresh perspective to Old First, the village’s iconic burnt umber brick edifice.
Other local landmarks Lemko rendered include Liverpool United Methodist’s famous purple door, an old willow basket barn, Liverpool Cemetery and Baldwinsville’s Abbott Farms.
Lemko lives in Liverpool and also has a home up in Sackets Harbor.
“I enjoy capturing the beauty of the places where I live and travel,” she said. “I specialize in landscapes and historic buildings.”
A member of the CNY Art Guild and the Arts Association of Northern New York, her artwork has been shown at the Everson Museum of Art down city as well as at the New York State Fair.
Lemko has a flair for chromatic contrasts. Her classic white willow-weaving barn is complemented by red roses growing from window planters. The cemetery is shown from Sixth Street looking east during autumn, with the monuments’ stark white in contrast to the yellowing leaves and green grass laden with shadows.
The artist recalls being drawn to the Methodist Church’s royal purple entryway during Easter season. “The doors were adorned with these beautiful palms with blue ribbons,” she said. “They were celebrating Palm Sunday.”
Her original paintings are custom-framed and reasonably priced, but she also sells prints and note cards; 451-8778.
Speaking of local landmarks, the Historical Association of Greater Liverpool looks forward to opening the Willow Museum again this summer. The association will host its annual general membership meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at the Gleason Mansion, 314 Second St. If you’re interested in local history, genealogy and architecture, attend Saturday’s meeting to get involved; 308-5641.
Meanwhile, history continues being made in village government, where Republicans have ruled the roost for more than a decade. Two incumbent village trustees, Nick Kochan and Jim Rosier, are expected to run for re-election this year on June 17. But first, they’ll have to be officially nominated by the village GOP caucus. Village Republican Party members will gather at 7 p.m. April 24, at the Village Hall. Good chance that whoever is nominated April 24 will run unopposed.
New Syracuse Chiefs General Manager Jason Smorol, who lives in Liverpool, owes Mother Nature bigtime. A morning of brilliant sunshine helped draw more than 6,600 baseball fans out to NBT Bank Stadium for the 2 p.m. Open Day game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.
The Chiefs lost 4-1, but there was excitement aplenty at the stadium, with promotions such as a bobble-head contest and the antics of a costumed Reggy the Purple Party Dude.
Fans enjoyed $1 beers and one-dollar Hofmann hot dogs because every Thursday will be Dollar Day at the stadium. Hey, they even brought Jim Durkin out of retirement to sell programs.
I’m hoping Jason will get the scoreboard’s pitch-speed indicator working by the time the next home-stand starts at 6 p.m. Monday, April 14, against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs; 474-7833; syracusechiefs.com.
With two jobs on hold, Operation Northern Comfort needs a plumber. “We have the materials, volunteers and funds to finish these projects,” said founder Norm Andrzejewski (pronounced An-dra-JEWS-kee), who lives in Liverpool. If you have plumbing skills, contact Norm at 559-9413 or via email at [email protected].
You have until Tuesday, April 15, to register a guess as to when the snow piles on the 100 block of First Street will finally melt away. Contestants will enter the date he or she thinks the snow mountains will be gone, along with name and contact numbers, and drop the entry in a box at Village Hall or at Nichols Supermarket, 327 First St.
The winner will receive a $150 Nichols gift card.
