EALD holds artist’s reception for Hershey

The East Adams Library District (EALD) hosted an artist’s reception for interim Menno Mennonite Pastor Lyn Hershey to showcase his paintings and discuss his artwork with library patrons on Friday, Sept. 14, at the Ritzville Public Library.

The reception is a part of EALD’s exhibit on Hershey’s artwork, which will be on display in the library until the end of December.

The library began showing Hershey’s work earlier this month. The artwork on display consists of Hershey’s older and original paintings, as well as pieces of his most recent work.

Hershey has been a pastor in various cities for over 50 years. He has been married to his wife Jeanie Hershey and together they have five children and 11 grandchildren.

Hershey, who grew up in Paradise, Pennsylvania, has been painting for several years dating back when he started as a teenager.

With his pastoral duties taking up much of his day, Hershey said he only paints in his spare time.

During the artist’s reception, Hershey provided attendees with a quick tour of his works around the library.

Several of the paintings featured in the exhibit are from a series of acrylic artwork depicting old mining buildings in Idaho.

Hershey said he used black and white photographs from Wayne Sparling’s book “Southern Idaho Ghost Towns” as references, then added his own color to the images.

He also included scenes to a couple of the paintings, including a night sky to one of the landscape paintings hanging above the Romance Fiction section.

Hershey also showed paintings inspired by the Oregon coast and from around Ritzville.

He also pieces of artwork that he used wood as his canvas instead of a more traditional medium, and one of the pieces depicts a lake with a waterfall.

Once the exhibit is over, Hershey said he might create a calendar with the images of the paintings of the mining buildings.

In addition to the exhibit at the library, Hershey said he plans to donate paintings to the Mennonite Country Auction on Oct. 8.

For more information about the artist reception and other library programs, contact EALD at 659-1222.