"Passenger to Paradise" - the Art Show

All the while the "Passenger to Paradise" books were in process, a series of paintings was being developed as well. Many of those paintings are currently on view at The Ward Center for Contemporary Art in Petersburg, Virginia. The Grand Opening reception and ribbon-cutting for the new facility took place last Friday night.

Some of the paintings were inspired by scenes in Jamaica, the setting for Hearts Across Forever. Others were created from photos taken as a hurricane moved toward the shores of an island in the Bahamas. Visits to St. Martin, Barbados, Trinidad, and Sedona, Arizona were the motivation for other paintings in the series.

Seeing a series of these paintings hanging on the walls of The Ward's beautiful new gallery space brings back many memories. It's fun to be a "Passenger to Paradise" and encounter lovely spaces in our too often traumatic world.

Thank you, The Ward Center for Contemporary Art, for bringing new spaces for artists and art. Make art, not war. That would be a beautiful thing and offer many new journeys for all "Passengers to Paradise".

Noelle Ward with her son following the ribbon cutting at The Ward.

"Passenger to Paradise" show at The Ward

"Passenger to Paradise" paintings at The Ward