Visit the meeting room to view the latest exhibit “Winter’s Work: Watercolors by Lois Fonde,” through April 30.
Please join Lois at an informal reception on Saturday, April 13 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.
Although she still hesitates to call herself an artist, Lois Rusch-Fonde of Hillsdale, has studied watercolor and drawing with George Miller, John Ahern, Roberta Rosenthal, among others.
Saul Raskin, a noted Yiddish artist whose studio was in the building Lois and her family lived in on the outskirts of Greenwich Village in NYC, thrust the first paintbrush into her hands when she was about age 5. He continued to encourage Lois in painting, as did illustrator Garth Williams, another neighbor whose children she babysat for. As a youngster she won “Best in Show” in her category for her work exhibited in NYC’s Washington Square Park’s Annual Art Festival.
When her family moved to Dumont in her early teens she continued pursuing her interest in art in high school; however, that was put on hold after her marriage and subsequent child rearing years. Arts and crafts, paper crafting and needlework were her creative outlets for many years.
For several years preceding her retirement and especially since, Louis has become dedicated to developing as an artist by taking several classes/workshops a week. She has exhibited for several years and won awards at Van Saun Park’s “Art in the Park” show, Catskill Art Society’s Member’s Exhibit, as well as at Tenafly Senior Center’s bi-annual Art Show. Lois also has exhibited and won several awards at District and State levels for her drawings, paintings and papercrafts at New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Club events.
Lois was a resident of Dumont for over 50 years, has three grown children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Widowed for several years, she and her current husband, Phil, married two years ago and enjoy living in Hillsdale.