A PERSISTENT PASSION: The Art of Lora Eberly Ballou: 1870-1976

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - March 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Montclair, NJ -- The Montclair Historical Society presents the exhibition A PERSISTENT PASSION: The Art of Lora Eberly Ballou: 1870-1976, Places in a One Hundred Six Year Life at the Charles Shultz House (Evergreens), 30 North Mountain Avenue, Montclair from April 27 through July 20. Lora Eberly Ballou was a unique woman who lived during a time of enormous change in this country. Growing up in an agrarian society in Ohio during the last quarter of the 1800s, where the horse and buggy was the primary mode of transportation, then moving to the suburbs of NYC, residing in an elegant home in Montclair, NJ with her husband John Ballou and two daughters, Margaret and Harriet. As the world dramatically changed around her, she spent much of her 106 years doing the thing she most loved—creating images of her surroundings on canvas. Ballou’s work focuses on an interest and passion for gardening and travel, and depicts many of the places she lived, including a winter scene of Tony’s Brook, and other parts of the country and world.

Ballou was active in Montclair alongside a community of artists and collectors, including noted landscape painter, George Inness, until his death in 1894. The Montclair Art Museum was founded in 1914, offering various programs and workshops that Ballou took part in, and even exhibited her work there. While Ballou was married to a successful businessman, and much of her time was spoken for at dinners, attending the opera, or other social events, she always managed to carve out a time and space for her artistic endeavors. Ballou donated many of her paintings to First Congregational Church Montclair where she was a long standing member over 40 years and Van Dyke Nursing Home where she spent her final years.

Ballou’s artwork will be on display at the Montclair Historical Society’s Charles Shultz House, an 1896 home that remains virtually untouched. It showcases a time capsule of the Shultz family and lifestyle during the same period when the Ballou family lived in Montclair. This home provides a unique setting for the exhibition, placing Lora Ballou’s artwork against the backdrop of a Montclair family active in the community, unveiling similarities in their lifestyles and interests during this period in history.

This exhibition is sponsored by Robert M and Patricia C Phillips.  The exhibit will be on display during regular public tours on the first and third Sunday of each month during April 27 through July 20, from 1-4 PM. A public reception will be held on April 27 from 1-4 PM with light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres. A hands-on workshop series for the exhibit will be offered in May and June led by teacher and artist, Abby McBride; and walking tours will be led by the Montclair Historical Society.

For additional information or to schedule a private tour, contact the Montclair Historical Society at 973-744-1796 or mail@montclairhistorical.org and visit our website at www.montclairhistorial.org. For additional information on Lora Ballou visit www.loraballou.com.


For Information, contact:

Jane Eliasof or Angelica Diggs

973-744-1796