Osher Member Art Show 2026

OSHER MEMBER

ART SHOW ’26

July 10-12, 2026 Juried exhibition based on the theme: Friendship

For the evening . . .

4 p.m.

Gala Opening As you view the art exhibition this year, pay close attention to those pieces that stand out. You will have the opportunity to vote in two categories: Best in Show and Best Representation of the Theme Friendship.

6 p.m.

Last Call for Ballots

6:15 pm

Announcement of Awards

7 p.m.

Gala Closing

’

Welcome!

Welcome to the University of Richmond Osher Institute’s Art Exhibition! Our inaugural show in 2025 was so successful that we are excited to offer our second exhibition this summer.

Our opening night gala on Friday, July 10, is an Osher members-only event, and registration is required. The show will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

The theme of the 2026 show, Friendship, was the unanimous choice of our Art Exhibition committee. Everyone felt that our Osher Institute is so much more than classes and events — we are a community. Friendships have been formed; long-term bonds have been created. We want to celebrate these wonderful and special connections!

We hope you’ll agree with the Committee that the theme is well represented in the impressive, beautiful works of our members.

Thank you for joining us in supporting our member-artists.

We’re excited to roll with our second show, with hopefully more to come in future years.

2026 Art Exhibition Committee John Bailey Deanne Bailey Linda Borland Kathie Howe

N. Elizabeth Schlatter Alice Waagen, Chair Chris Waagen Peggy Watson

The Artists

The artists are listed alphabetically by last name.

Contact information appears when the artists are willing to sell their works.

Antoinette Alaimo Red Zinnias

During the fall of 2024, I went with a calligrapher friend to La Romita in Terni, Italy for a two-week printmaking workshop.

Together we were inspired by the beauty of the zinnia garden.

I love flowers and use my sketches to make many prints. Even though I knew Monica for 12 years, being together in Italy, we told each other about our personal lives - something we never did all those years in art classes. In 2025, I worked on making this watercolor zinnia garden and loved what they represent.

I made it my holiday card and happy to show with my Osher family and friends. www.instagram.com/toni_atelier 2025 Watercolor and ink on paper

Deanne Bailey

Friendship Circles We all travel in different circles of interests. Many acquaintances are found in each of those areas. Where the circles intersect are where friendships are made. These are represented by the pearl beads in the mosaic. The best friends are found where multiple lines cross. It’s a blessing if you get to marry your best friend, and I did.

2026 Glass, epoxy putty, glass and plastic beads, LED lights

John Bailey

Gentoo Penguins Many penguins are loyal to their mate during a single breeding season, but one penguin species exhibits extraordinary friendship. The Gentoo penguins pictured here (Paradise Bay, Antarctica) show strong fidelity to their mate by consistently returning to each other. Every year the male courts the female by searching for the perfect pebble and offers it to his mate. If accepted the pair builds a nest together and shares the responsibilities of raising chicks. This courtship, fidelity and sharing of responsibilities is a tremendous example of friendship in the wild.

2026 Photography on paper

Diane Mugford Bennett Friends Share

The three dogs are sharing (hopefully) a bone in front of their dog houses, complete with their favorite toys. Can you see tennis balls, Mr. Bill, and the plastic corn cobs? These are our family dogs who only see each other on occasion but always enjoy their time together, like Osher members! dianemugford@gmail.com +1 804 514 5560 2026 Oil on wood

Che’ Billingsley

Good Friends at Bruton Parish Church Bruton Parish Church served as a gathering place for leaders and friends during the American Revolution. Many plans were devised at this location as colleagues gathered. cheartist@protonmail.com +1 804 387 4198 cheartist.com 2025 Oil on canvas, framed

Joan Bruno

Reach for the Stars Two girls with arms up, fulfilling their dreams together!

2026 Acrylic paint on canvas

George Dahlman Blending

Friendships are the comingling of two separate pools of experience, personality and narratives. To be successful, they blend their characters into a relationship that can be serene, creative and enriching. Blending illuminates the horizon on which that transition and comingling occur and transforms both participants.

2024 Acrylic Paint on Canvas

Arlene DeConti Fun Friend

Osher provides many wonderful opportunities to learn about and make friends with folks of different interests and backgrounds. Socializing and establishing warm, enriching friendships is indeed an excellent feature of being an Osher member.

But there is also another loyal, lifelong friend we can enjoy in our lives and becomes involved in most all of our friends lives as well. And that is a fun, frolicking canine pup. Mine is a curious, sassy Wire Fox Terrier. Maize welcomes, plays with and loves my friends as I do.

2026 Oil paint on canvas

Jane Dowrick

Mardi Gras Buddies While walking in the 2024 Mardi Gras parade in the Bywater of New Orleans I met these three revelers, in identical costumes, who told me that they are long-time friends who have been meeting up in matching costumes for more than 25 years.

2024 Watercolor on paper

Jim Easton

A Taste of Friendship This photograph captures a brief but meaningful interaction between two Cedar Waxwings—one passing a berry to the other. Often linked to bonding and courtship, this simple act also reflects something more universal: friendship. There’s no drama here, just a quiet moment of sharing, trust, and connection. At Osher, we experience this same spirit—learning together, forming friendships, and finding meaning in small, shared moments.

Photographed on the University of Richmond campus, this scene is a gentle reminder that connection and kindness are all around us.

2025 Photography on Paper

Elsa Ervine Buddies

Friends hang onto each other through the delights and dangers of life. There is always room for two, and a hand up when somebody falls off the swing.

2026 Acrylic paint on canvas

David Fishman

Pictures at an Exhibition Two people bond over art. She absorbed by the art. He absorbed by her.

2024 Photograph on paper

Georgia Harvey

The Importance of Nurture Plants and people have certain things in common. For instance, a stray weed seed beside the road, given nature’s nurture of sunshine and rain, can become a beautiful plant. In the same way, a casual acquaintance, given the human nurture of loving care and attention, can become a deep friendship.

2025 Dried plant, glue, cardstock

Kathie Howe

Threads of Friendship Kimono style jacket. The yellow color is associated with friendship. Many of the embroidery and Sashiko patterns symbolize friendship. Traditionally, Sashiko was about mending clothes to show love and care for family and friends. The Shippo-tsunagi (seven treasures) pattern represents harmony, peace and good relationships. Komezashi (rice stitch) pattern symbolizes sharing a meal with family and friends. The clamshell pattern depicts the inter connectedness of people and community.

The embroidery on one of the sleeve cuffs are cherry blossoms also a symbol of friendship. The appliqués are ginkgo leaves are powerful symbols of resilience, longevity and the duality of friendship.

2026 Silk threads and fabrics

Sarah A. Hoyle

Venetian Promenade Even though Lily and Charlotte are cousins, distance keeps them apart most of the time. But whenever they reunite, their bond feels effortless—like the closest of friends picking up right where they left off. Together, they wander through a sunlit campo in Venice, side by side, talking and laughing without pause.

In those moments, it isn’t just family that connects them—it’s a genuine friendship, full of joy, warmth, and the comfort of truly understanding one another. sarahahoyle@gmail.com +1 804 229 0447 artbysarahahoyle.com 2025 Watercolor on 140lb cold press watercolor paper

Tommy Hudson

Slan Abhaile Brother Rat . . . Until We Meet Again Slan abhaile is Irish Gaelic for Safe Home. This painting is in memory of my best friend for forty-plus years, Spunky Butler, who passed away in January. He was an Osher member and VMI classmate (Brother Rat).

2026 Acrylic paint on canvas

Pam Hudson

A Little “Light” Humor Good friends who have shared travels and laughter share another moment waiting for the partial eclipse.

2024 Photography on giclee paper

Margaret Hutchison

Building Friendships and Learning Together My painting attempts to capture the joy that Osher brings to my life. It’s such a pleasure to meet and build friendships with others that are interested in learning. Exploring and growing together is a real privilege.

2026 Acrylic Paint on Canvas

Charlie King

Forever Friends Women’s friendships are valued by and for one another. Lifetime or short term they stand by one another and live life to the fullest Charlie7607@msn.com +1 804 314 8989 2026 Watercolor on 300lb. Cold Press

Monica Lee

Friends, Forever My two sons embracing at the older brother’s wedding. They are and hope to be best friends forever.

2025 Soft Pastel

Leigh McDonald The Three Sisters

Friendships and relationships become more important as we get older. Friendship begins to take on many forms including stronger family relationships. In this picture, 3 sisters (as represented by some fun girly cocktails!) enjoy some togetherness at their peaceful family vacation spot.

2025 Acrylic paint

Frank Mercado Friends

The inspiration for Friends came a couple of summers ago, when my young granddaughter was interacting with a horse at a local boarding stable. To get close to the large animal, she clambered up the pasture’s wooden fence. Rather than shying, the horse seemingly enjoyed her attention. I was entranced by the scene. Friends is an attempt at capturing the connection that can form so easily between a child and an animal. In the painting’s storytelling, the context is changed from boarding stable to farm, and from summer to winter. But the essence of the story, the friendship between a girl and a horse, remains.

FrankMercado.art 2024 Hand painted Digital Painting, (Epson archival 9-color pigment) inkjet print on Moab Fine Art Cotton Rag Paper

Alex Meredith

Marsh Sunset Harmony Friendship can evoke strong emotions such as peace and harmony. The deep green horizontals in this composition combined with the bright sunset colors over a Hilton Head Island Marsh can elicit the same, restful feelings. +1 804 370 0554 2024 Oil on Canvas

Celeste Miller

Toucan be Friends Toucans are known for their vivid colors and lively presence.

Two toucans face one another in casual companionship, a reminder that friendship brings color, warmth, and joy to the everyday.

2026 Stained glass

Ken Montgomery Friendly Thought

Friends make us smile. My art is about the smile. kenmontgomeryist@gmail.com +1 1 646 462 8792 2025 Acrylic paint, magazine clipping, pencil shavings

Jennifer Murphy Scrabble Friends

My art piece was created with a Scrabble board and tiles. It reminded me of friends playing a game of Scrabble and spelling out synonyms for the word ‘friend’. I also put it on a mechanism that spins to mimic a real Scrabble game. jennifer@7murphys.com +1 703 496 0262 2026 Wood, scrabble board, tiles and tile holders. Lazy susan

Debbie Ortiz

Forever Friends I use Impressionism, realism and a touch of abstract techniques to evoke a sense of peace and tranquility through movement, light and color. My nieces are forever friends. Experiencing new adventures, playing together and giggling at each other’s antics. This painting is a great example of friendship!!

2026 Oil on Birch Board

Chaya Pollack

Harry and Sally Go for a Walk Harry and Sally are friends. Here they are going for a walk. chayasarahpollack@hotmail.com +1 617 875 2014 2024 Watercolor on paper

Zumi Potts

Quiet Conversation A bouquet speaks without words, opening hearts and inviting the understanding that can lead to friendship. zumi@zumibpotts.com +1 401 207 0188 https://www.instagram.com/zumipotts/ 2026 Oil Pastel on canvas

Ken Powell

Befriending Nature Throughout history, water has provided a location for people to gather and build communities. Whether it was wells, lakes, rivers, or oceans, people gravitated to these places and shared the aquatic bounty.

2026 Oil on canvas

John Roberts BFF

This piece is from a photo taken at Isle of Palms, South Carolina and shows my daughter and her best friends Jen and Jenny.

She met them in 1984 at the DOD high school at Ramstein AB, Germany and continued to connect with them years after she returned to the US. In 2010, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and they traveled from Canada and Texas to spend the weekend at the beach. They are the definition of Best Friends Forever. She died in 2013.

2026 Pastel on paper

Tim Slaven

Walk for Peace Image recognizes the Buddhist monks Walk for Peace 20252026. The monks’ message was peace, inner peace. When we are at peace, we treat everyone as a friend in the same journey home. tim.slaven@gmail.com +1 804 517 8867 timslavenimages.com 2026 Watercolor and ink on paper

Frances G. Smith

Hiking Friends Along the Virginia Capital Trail Every winter the RVA Way hiking group gathers interested friends to test their walking fitness as many prepare for longer walks during the year. This was taken on one of those two weekends in February 2025. I was behind these two walkers as we were halfway through our second day of hiking four days and 13 total miles this day. For me, this was an important year of hiking preparation to then hike the Camino de Santiago in May. frennie5@gmail.com +1 804 357 7009 https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-fran-smith 2025 Digital photography

Karen Sposa

Friends Are the Family We Choose Friendship isn’t one kind of a person; one color or one shape.

There is no formula for making and keeping a friend. And no certain place you can find one. Friendship does not come with instructions. There is no secret password you need to know to enter into friendship. But when you find a friend, they will just fit. And they will understand the vibe of your tribe . . . and you.

And they will share with you and cry with you and laugh with you and your life will just feel better. And when you stand back and look at the circle of your life, you’ll know that your friends have become your family. They will be all unique but fit perfectly around you. My Shadow Box was designed with faces showing all different expressions of friendship.

2025 Paper Collage on Shadow Boxes

Raymond Sutton Harmony of Colors

In 1666 Isaac Newton invented the color wheel to map the color spectrum onto a circle. In 2026 we continue to rely on it as the basis of color theory. That colors are in relationship, whether it be harmony, tension, draws me to rely on abstraction. Friendships, like colors, take many forms, but all relying on varied, nuanced, complex abstractions. raymondsutton44@gmail.com 2026 Acrylic paint on canvas

Scott Tilghman

My Study of Delobbe 1880 Resting During the Harvest This is a study of Alfred Francois Delobbe’s Resting during the Harvest c1880. A woman in traditional attire rests peacefully on a grassy field beside a wheat stack, clutching a red rose. The background reveals a cloudy sky and distant buildings, creating a tranquil rural scene. The woman’s gaze is locked on the artist; it is rumored they were romantically involved (the red flower).

There is both a relaxing feeling in the composition and a seriousness in her gaze... amplifying the friendship notion of the painting. stilghma@richmond.edu +1 804 349 9722 fineartamerica.com/featured/my-study-of-delobbe-1880resting-during-the-harvest-scott-tilghman.html 2025 Acrylic on canvas

Richard Upton Gatherings

In an otherwise world of polarized thought and social interaction, the casual gathering of friends and family on a clear Spring evening at the VMFA gave voice to a more positive future. No special event ... no performances ... just people gathering for the powerful joy of art, friendship and peace. rlupton72@gmail.com +1 804 363 2587 https://www.rluptonimages.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rlupton.images/ 2026 Photography on paper

Alice Waagen

Circle of Friends Make new friends but keep the old, One is silver and the other gold.

A circle is round and has no end, That is how long I will be your friend.

Welsh composer Joseph Parry ca. 1890 2026 Fiber and Mixed Media

Christopher Waagen Rodeo Spirit

In the professional rodeo community, riders travel a circuit.

When friends meet, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the rodeo spirit that bring them together. The cowboy on the left has his bull-riding boots on. His friend on the right wishes him good luck for the upcoming ride. It’s risky business, a rider needs all the luck he can get. clwaagen@gmail.com +1 703 231 1153 2025 Photographic print on canvas

Daniel Walker Friends Forever

The greatest relationship is based on friendship and trust. The photograph shows a couple walking hand in hand in the fall of their life. dw194563@gmail.com +1 804 314 6900 danielwalkerphoto.my.canva.site 2024 Photography on paper

Jonathan Wight Judith

This work is a photo portrait of Judy, taken during a reunion held at the Paradise Farmhouse on the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Rhode Island in 2025. Judy and I met as young teens in São Paulo, Brazil in 1964, in the midst of a military takeover of the country. Though her family soon moved away, through a mix of chance and intention we have remained each other’s oldest surviving friend. Laughter, nicknames, ribbing, and guitar songs cement the certainty of where we’ve been. We are part of a wider circle of friends from across the U.S. who gather every year or two. At its heyday, the group numbered 40—raucous and celebratory over Memorial Day weekends. During COVID, it dwindled to four. By 2025, it had regrown to 17, with others unable to travel or departed life too soon. This photograph captures a spontaneous moment. The fading light suggests the passage of our generation and yet also holds the warmth and endurance of these friendships. Judy and I have been friends for 62 years.

2025 Photography on paper

Howard Wiles Charlotte

Dogs have been man’s best friend for up to 40,000 years by some estimates. Collies are pastoral shepherds whose job is to provide overwatch for all the creatures in their family. They have been our best friends for 40 years. This is Charlotte, now 3 years old, captured in the morning sun, gazing at me with eyes of love.

2025 Colored pencil

Acknowledgments We extend our sincere appreciation to all member artists who contributed to this exhibition. Many thanks, too, to the tireless efforts of the Osher Art Show Committee, University Facilities, the Department of Art and Art History, and the staff of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

We are especially grateful to Osher’s dedicated staff and volunteers, without whom this show would not be possible.

osher.richmond.edu