Celebrating Lois Perdue‘s artwork is easy because it moves viewers through her use of color and markings. Lois’ final Solo Exhibit will take place at Artserve in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, December 7th. The exhibit is Open NOW through January 4, 2022. The public is invited to the Opening Reception with the Gold Coast Watercolor Society co-hosting. Sales of Lois’ artwork have and will benefit a number of charities: PAWS, Gold Coast Watercolor Society, Summer camp programs for kids, College art scholarships at Broward College, Pen Women Ft. Lauderdale Branch, to name a few. The Rickie Report shares sneak peeks of her artwork, plus the details about Lois’ life and her influence on so many of us. Please join me in celebrating Lois Perdue’s legacy, as she lives her days with intention, including her tributes to many in the arts community.
Gallery Hours:
Monday – Friday 9 AM – 6 PM Saturday 10 AM – 6 PM
“Candy Crush” by Lois Perdue
Rickie Leiter, publisher of The Rickie Report shares, “My friend and art colleague, Lois Perdue, is closing her professional art business due to stage 4 advanced pancreatic cancer. ARTSERVE has graciously donated its site as the host for her final exhibit with Gold Coast Watercolor Society is co-hosting the event. To date with Lois’s generous donations from the sales of her artwork at Plunge Resort and sales for her art supplies over $6,000 has funded many worthy programs”.
“End of 30 x 30” by Lois Perdue
Lois Perdue writes, “Let me explain….I am living out the rest of my life in order to not only leave a legacy of artist appreciation, but to offer others a new opportunity to consider creating a legacy. Too many of us find ourselves in these health-related positions, and while we leave wills, telling our loved ones what to do with our possessions, somehow, that is not enough. What about the spirit of ourselves that remains? This is an opportunity to honor those who have helped us on the journey”.
“Wild Blue Yonder” by Lois Perdue
Rickie says, “It has been a personal honor to help Lois map out her vision for an ongoing $500. Cash Arts Award to a visual artist who has taken an active role and has been a mentor to a visual arts organization. Lois has faced her diagnosis like a blank canvas. She gathered her resources and went to work! Lois has shared with me over these past months how joyous it is for her to see the fruits of her labors while she is still alive. Lois continues to teach us to live our lives with precious strokes of thoughtfulness, good deeds, and openness.”
Lois Perdue Award
For Exceptional Contributions to the Arts Community
Lois has inaugrated a new award/program for one local visual artist each year to be awarded $500. for innovative fundraising and membership, environmental work through their art, or from helping to ‘vet’ suitable organizations to whom these groups might want to give scholarships to…and helping fellow members who might have to shutter their studio due to ill health or moving. The first recipient will be Tammy Seymour.
Lois continues, “I’ve had to shutter my studio and reduce my inventory of paintings so I don’t leave my husband, Don, and my kids with a huge portfolio of work to deal with. I started breaking my studio down myself a few months ago, but was overwhelmed with what was involved and too emotional to be doing this alone. I knew Tammy Seymour had helped other artists ‘break’ down their studios and I had worked closely with her as Vice President of Pen Women of Fort Lauderdale for 9 years”.
“Jubilation” by Lois Perdue
Tammy swooped in, taking inventory of thousands of dollars’ worth of paper, substrates, brushes, Office equipment etc. Lois’ arrangement with Tammy was that ALL supplies will be donated to Gold Coast Watercolor Society and used in their flea market for scholarship/award funding. In the midst of all of this emotional and physical turmoil, Lois was trying to pull together her first solo exhibit in a large public venue. Tammy stepped in to help Lois create a video presentation of my life: (one for me that Don and my kids can cherish).
Tammy who retired from NCR Corporation (her clients included: Burger King, Disney World, Checkers, etc) is recognized as an award winning artist. Lois’ Award serves to acknowledge her compassionate ‘can do’ attitude when it comes to supporting local arts organizations and their goals! From inaugurating clever ideas for fundraisers, to stepping in to curate exhibits or being a top-notch graphic designer who creates eye-catching collateral materials for the groups to which she belongs, Tammy is a leader and inspirer. No task is too small or too large for her and the fact that Tammy simultaneously currently serves as President of Pen Women Fort Lauderdale Branch and Gold Coast Watercolor Society—says it all!
“Heartbeat” by Lois Perdue
The Bonnet House is also a recipient of Tammy’s vision, as she provided merchandise in the gift shop, which during Covid helped them overcome a major budget slash. She has been providing new and gently used items either donated or purchased at estate sales for their gift shop. Through monthly raffles at Pen Women luncheons of new or gently used items, we raise on average $100 per month. The proceeds of flea market sales have gone to support Pen Women Scholarship and Gold Coast Watercolor Society Danielle Vailancourt Memorial Award. Donations to these groups have exceeded $700 since inception in March 2021. Over time, GCWS has become the place for artists to donate art supplies from their closed studios and we’ve assisted dismantling over four full studios in the last 10 years.
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About Lois Perdue
Lois has lived in South Florida her entire life and teaches abstract workshops upon request throughout the area. She is very active in the art community and is a member of the National League of American Pen Women, Fort Lauderdale Branch, Plantation, Weston, Broward and Coral Springs Art Guilds, Florida Watercolor Society and International Society of Experimental Artists, XII Voices, an informal group of 12 professional water media artists who meet monthly to exchange current art information and offer critiques and evaluations from their peers. Lois is an award-winning artist who has won at the national, state and local levels and exhibits regularly throughout the South Florida area.
Untitled by Lois Perdue
Lois asked The Rickie Report to share this gratitude list for all those who have loved, supported and nurtured her during these many months of declining health issues. Since these are final steps of her journey, she wanted to thank those who have been by her side:
- To Rickie Leiter for her friendship, support and encouragement in all things ‘art’ and for, along with Judy Nunno, helping formulate this artist/award for Tammy Seymour.
- To Heritage Art Galleries and Framing, (Tamarac, FL.), co-owners Claudio Tomassone and Ian and Linda Jerrell for believing in me and my art for the past five years, representing me as one of their featured artists, and managing the sales distribution of my giclees.
- To ArtServe along with curator Sophie Bonet, operations manager Rion Birchmore and membership development coordinator Rebecca Wilkner for hosting my solo art exhibit on December 7th and where I happily taught my abstract workshops for so many years.
- To my collaborative, creative artist community especially Gold Coast Watercolor Society and Pen Women who provided the vehicles with which to share my talent benefiting the area’s young artists and summer ‘art’ campers.
- To my medical support team including Dr. Sahiba Kahn (Vitas Hospice Care), Drs. C. Stone, Milana Kaplan, Willy Davila, Clark-Loesser and Robin Steinberg.
- To Don’s loving fire service community for their love and support.
- To special junior/high school friends who have supported and loved me through life’s challenges including raising children and for providing years of fun and companionship.
- To my extraordinary loving friends including Tammy Seymour, Judy Nunno, Susan Convery, Pauline Runkle and the many others not listed here who provided love, encouragement and endless support as well.
- And last to my beautiful family including my amazing children, Adam Frimet and Wendy Frimet Jacobs, special grandchildren, Eli Jacobs and Isaac Jacobs, and many first and second cousins, nieces and nephews. And to the ‘wind beneath my wings’, my best friend, my hero, my loyal and loving husband, Don Perdue.
For more about Lois Perdue’s artwork:
………. Other Resources ……….
Tammy Seymour
~ Gold Coast Watercolor Society ~
~ Ft. Lauderdale Branch Pen Women ~
~ PAWS ~
2070 Griffin Road Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312
~ Young At Art Museum ~
Wednesday – Sunday : 11 am to 6 pm
Tel: 954-424-0085
For coverage of your events, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact:
Rickie Leiter, Publisher
17019 SW Sapri Way Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
Jan 21-23, 2020
