Local artist to display, sell more than 100 original paintings in show on Saturday

MEDINA — With more than 100 original paintings framed and ready to display, local artist Grace Zay will celebrate her 96th birthday with her first one-woman show on Saturday. Zay moved to Medina in March 1952 after her husband, Arthur, bought the Towne Motel on North Court Street. The family lived at the motel for a few years before moving onto Ryan Road in Lafayette Township. In the mid-1960s, Zay was at the opening of the former Wedgewood Country Club and saw artist Franklin Bates of Lodi do a demonstration. Zay said Bates was offering classes, and she began painting in his classes. "At that time, my children were still quite small, but I did start taking classes with (Bates)," Zay said. "Later on, when they got older, I started going to workshops." Zay traveled to participate in workshops held by different artists. She went to places like Rockport, Massachusetts, in 1969, where she sketched the notable fishing shack known as "Motif Number 1." Some sketches of the fishing shack have been framed for Saturday's show. In 1973, Zay took part in Medina County Art League's first Art in the Park, which was the first show she entered. Since then, Zay has routinely taken part in the Medina County Art League's shows like Art in the Park and the Aquarius Exhibition. Other than her active participation in the Medina County Art League, Zay has worked on several projects, from designing decorative plates for the former Welcome Wagon Club of Medina to designing yearly Christmas ornaments. In 1970, Zay sketched several notable Medina landmarks to be included in a cookbook for St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. She is also a lifetime member of the Whiskey Painters of America, a group of artists formed in Akron that focuses on the creation of mini-paintings. Zay said that several people she met because of the whiskey paintings will come to Saturday's show to see her work. "I think back, and I wonder how I did it all," Zay said. Throughout the decades, Zay has collected and stored all her work in portfolios and boxes. During a more recent move in the mid-2010s, the people who were helping her move were trying to figure out where to store the boxes of artwork when Medina resident Paul Wood offered the space in his basement. Wood grew up on Ryan Road and has known Zay his entire life, stating she and his mother were best friends. Wood describes the Ryan Road community as tight-knit, stating that many people who grew up there have remained close and keep in touch. With all the boxes stored in his basement, Wood went through the boxes and found artwork ranging from the 1960s to more recent. As he talked to his former Ryan Road neighbors, they decided it was time Zay had a show of her own. After delaying the possibility of a show for a couple of years during COVID, Wood decided last November that it was time to get everything together to prepare for a show near Zay's birthday. "I just started asking all of our former Ryan Road friends (to) collect frames, bring them over, drop (them off) at my house," Wood said. "I got probably 100 plus frames from everybody." Throughout the winter months, Wood spent every weekend matting and framing Zay's artwork. When Zay was told about the show, she said she was surprised and anxious because she didn't think she had good quality work to put on display and sell. "Many times, she would call me (and say), 'Paul, I just don't know if some of these things should be in there,'" Wood said. "I've only pulled a few that we didn't think met her expectations. But, there's even a few that aren't exactly her, but I've actually had people buy them already. There's art for everybody." The Grace Zay Art Show and Sale will be on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 6620 Kennard Road in Westfield Township. As the show quickly approaches, Zay said she is looking forward to seeing the people that come to the show. For Wood, the show is to display the range of work Zay has done throughout her life. "She's never had a one-person show and so this is her time," Wood said. "She'll turn 96 the day before. This is her debut show for having a one-woman show, which is really special." Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.