Longtime PAA member Flo Mooney at the Penfield Town Board meeting Dec. 3, 2025.
Flo Mooney, who joined PAA in 1964, was honored at the closing reception of the 2025 Fall Show at the Addison of Willow Pond. Flo became a member a year after the group was founded, delaying because she thought PAA was only for professional artists. She was a devoted painter and steadfast contributor to the organization while raising five children with her husband, Bob, who died in 2016, and remains an active member. Asked why she has remained a member for so long, Flo said “It’s the friendships.”
Following are some of Flo’s memories of the club:
“In 1962 Penfield had its first Art Festival and it was held at the Penfield High School gym with 67 exhibitions. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin P. Lehmann were chairpersons. It was well attended.
In 1963 the Penfield Art Association was formed when a small group of friends would gather and do art work together.
Marianne Lehmann, Barbara Hopkins, Walter Graver and others arranged to have their art work put on display at a small laundromat at the “then center court” of Panorama Plaza. Presently the plaza is one long strip of stores. In the 60’s and 70’s the center court existed about half way. A Fanny Farmer candy store was on the west front corner and opposite on the east front corner was a liquor store and Hallmark cards next door. Hallmark had a front entrance as well as a side entrance off the court yard filled with locust trees and benches. Towards the back of the grove of locust trees and flowerbeds was the laundromat where the art work was hung and the ladies would “sit and protect” the art during business hours. A shoe repair shop was across the way.
Probably it was a year later the art group would gather at the old town hall at 2131 Five Mile Line Road just south of four corners and have their art on display. The Penfield Library was in the basement at that time before moving to 1985 Baird Road. Later our club would hold our art shows in the basement of the new town hall on Atlantic Avenue. In the basement meant those stairs were not accessible to the handicapped population.
Classes and demonstrations were held at the high school in art room 119A for years until it became more crowded when we added new members. We even met in the cafeteria for a while.
Ward Mann and Dick Kane gave us many demonstrations in our early years. John Wagner was our first president and he gave demonstrations in oil painting.
I joined in September 15, 1964, the club’s second year. I thought you had to be a professional artist to join their lively group. John Winter joined us in 1966 and stayed for a number of years before he dropped out. I would see him coming out of our library on Baird Road carrying art books. I told him the club misses him and he joined us again and continued to win ribbons after that.
Cliff Spangenberg was a professional artist and won many, many ribbons for his beautiful watercolors. One of his winter scenes hung in the town hall for years.
Jeanne Lindsey, another professional artist showed her work of watercolors all over the country and in Artist Magazine.
Lisa Forrester, Lee Phipps, Norma Weber, Doris Kuhn,
When we had judges for our shows we had very simple beginnings and small treasury. Our membership fee in the 60’s was $5.00. In 1971 dues was $7.50 and $10 per family. In 1974 $10 and $12 per family. For judging our shows the judges did it for free according to my notes and we gave them a (weed?) pot.
Walter Grover our founder was made an honorary member with full privileges August 1973.
We had shows at Nazareth College for years. At one point we were in the Cobblestone Art Festival Main Street in Rochester. During a windy day our display fell into Main Street and here comes a Rochester transit bus!
Our members donated art to Channel 21 WXXI, auction for many years.”