Featured Volunteer:
May 2010
Lucille Berkowitz

By Jessi Fernandes

Lucille Berkowitz, EAFA Nominating Chairperson, was reluctant to be interviewed for the newsletter. Remembering her pleasure at receiving "Yeses" when she solicited our Editor, Program Chairman, Bulk Mailing chaps, VP, Greeter, Historian and other volunteers, she graciously said "Yes" to me when I asked.

In her youth, Lucille had no exposure to museums or galleries until an artist employed by the WPA taught art at her school. Then she proceeded to quietly do her own thing at home. Her first still life was of a ketchup bottle in the kitchen, probably using poster paint on cardboard. As a teenager in Sioux City, Iowa, she had to produce her mother’s signature in order to join a male nude life drawing class. (Back then modesty required the models to wear jock straps!) As a dancer, she tried to paint ballet figures and a few of her efforts (which she described as pathetic) were displayed at recitals.

Never one to sit on her hands, she worked as secretary, married and served as Program Chairman for an art group in the San Fernando Valley. She has published a few poems and was paid seventy-five dollars for a magazine article. In addition, her alma mater, Morningside College, accepted thirteen of her paintings for their permanent collection.

All her life, Lucille has been a voracious reader and in the past played tennis with the energy which she gives to whatever she undertakes. She describes her association with EAFA as gratifying. The meetings, the company of other artists and working behind the scenes with the Board have been wonderfully stimulating. When a call goes out for Volunteers, she urges all the members to come forward, to say "Yes" and enjoy the same satisfaction that Lucille has found. Her credo in life is "Just Do It!" and we’re very glad she does.