Earlier this year we enlisted the help of the UJC Senior Center's members and art instructors, as well as local artists, to put together an art gallery with the hope of bringing joy to our community.

Every month we'll be sharing interviews with the artists that collaborated with the project.

Kay Newman│New York City

Kay Newman is a New York artist originally from Jamaica. She’s been painting for over 50 years, and her works draw from beautiful landscapes and a sense of artistic community.

When did you start painting?

My first experience with oil painting was about 51 years ago when, as a 24-year-old bride, I first came to New York from Kingston, Jamaica. Shortly after my arrival, I took an oil painting class at the Educational Alliance Art School. After a hiatus, I returned to painting at the Art School about 20 years ago. At that time the art school was located in a large studio on the 5th floor where light poured through large windows making it an ideal painting setting. The studio walls held old paintings and drawings left by former students whose immigrant stories I was following.

Since the renovation of the Educational Alliance building, the art school has been in the basement, with little natural light, but what has been most important are the supportive relationships that I have formed with other painting students.

What inspires you?

A lot of my oil paintings have been inspired by photographs taken on my travels. Most of them are landscapes or buildings.

Since traveling freely hasn't been feasible for months, I wonder how have you adapted to keep working on your art.

As we are unable to travel now, looking at my paintings and photographs brings back wonderful memories of past travel adventures. But a positive aspect of ‘sheltering in place’ has been that I have been forced out of my comfort zone and am now trying different art forms. Thanks to the UJC, I am participating in drawing classes on Zoom. Drawing, which I had always avoided, is a challenge for me but Jodie Niss, the teacher, makes it an enjoyable challenge! It is also a time when I have had the opportunity to meet new people and see some of my former painting partners on Zoom.

Additionally, I challenged myself and began painting with acrylic paints. I joined my high school-aged granddaughter in this adventure, and I have a lot of fun painting with her via Zoom. I am learning and experimenting with abstract art, painting with bright colors and thicker paint, much to her amazement!

Do you have any advice to share?

My art motto and advice to anyone who says they can’t paint or draw is to “just do it and have fun and enjoy what you are doing.”

What will you do when life returns to normal?

I look forward to visiting my favorite New York City art museums (hopefully with a grandchild joining) and being inspired by my favorite Impressionist painters. It will be so much fun painting in the studio with my friends. But most of all, I look forward to being with family and friends and being able to travel and enjoy the world outside our apartment!

Learn more about Kay Newman’s work:

• UJC Art Gallery │ Kay Newman