A legacy of color and life at Ozanam and De Paul manors
By Troy Hill
Walking down the halls of Ozanam and de Paul Manors, one sees the once bare white walls brightened with pools of color. Dozens of paintings in various impressionistic and cubist styles adorn the spaces of the transitional shelters at St. Vincent de Paul.
These works aren’t just beautiful pieces thrown together at random, they’re comprised what is nearly the life’s work of a local painter, whose art donation was organized by a thoughtful volunteer wanting to give back in a way only the two of them could.
Susan Levine, the volunteer, is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to uplift her community, especially through SVdP. They have given of their time before but felt they wanted to do something uniquely special.
Susan and, her dear friend, Judy Mohraz asked about projects for the newly completed de Paul Manor.
“When we toured it was all white walls, beige walls; nothing exciting. And we said, 'Well what if we decorate and enhance them?'”
The leadership at SVdP loved the idea, so Susan set out to find enough paintings to bring a burst of life to the transitional shelters. She first searched every thrift store she could find but the few paintings that met her standards weren’t enough to cover the 50,000 square-foot de Paul Manor (not to mention Ozanam Manor after that).
That’s when she serendipitously learned from dear friends who connected her to the local painter, Betsy Vincent (a fitting name, no?).
Betsy began painting at the age of seven. Now 85, she’s amassed quite the collection of her own artwork, which very recently covered every wall in her home from floor to ceiling. Throughout the nearly 80 years she refined her craft. Betsy has been most inspired by Matisse and Picasso. She loves bold colors and combines simple shapes to make beautiful likenesses of both portraits and landscapes.
When it came time to down-size and enter an assisted-living complex with her husband, Betsy was unsure what to do with the thousands of paintings in her home. However, Susan knew just what to do.
When Susan explained she was trying to find a large quantity of paintings, Betsy couldn’t think of a better display for her body of work and quickly agreed to donate as many as she thought were ready for the enjoyment of SVdP’s residents.
“I am so, so lucky to be able to share some of my work with other people. I’m really, really happy to do that,” Betsy said. “The real gift was to me because when I am gone, my paintings will still bring joy.”
With an entire art gallery in tow, Susan hired a professional framer to hang the paintings throughout Ozanam and de Paul Manors. Now, the halls of the housing communities on SVdP’s main campus are adorned in bright, beautiful images. The residents walk past them every day. Some have even taken one with them when they graduate to housing of their own.
Anne-Marie Meegan, one of the residents of Ozanam Manor, said she loved the paintings, especially the ones with landscapes and architecture from other countries. They inspire her to work hard so that one day she might visit the landscapes depicted. “They really make me feel happy, much happier, because there’s, so much to look at,” she said. “The design of them is so lovely.”
“If I can make one person smile a day, that’s a reward to my heart,” said Betsy, who holds the people and organization dear. “St. Vincent de Paul really cares about people. I believe they do really good things for people who are really in need.”
Samara Hutman, Susan’s daughter and contributor to the project, said she was so happy that her mom took the project on, and that it will go on to make a difference in the daily lives of the residents.
“My Mom has a gift for going into a setting and making it human, homey, pretty, and tender,” she said. “It’s all about the idea that people heal better in spaces that are comforting.”
Scroll for more photos of Betsy Vincent's artwork on display at SVdP's Ozanam and De Paul manors.
