Salvation Army art open house at Pat’s Pizza Nov. 20

The Salvation Army Developmental Disabilities Program will hold its Sixth Annual Art Open House from 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20, at Pat’s Pizza, 17644 Coastal Highway, Lewes. The exhibit will feature works from the artists of the Salvation Army Creative heARTs program. 

Iniated in 2007, the Creative heARTs program helps artists with developmental and cognitive disabilities hone their artistic and creative skills, and share their compositions with the community. The artwork is available year-round at Pat’s Pizza to admire and purchase.

Any Pat’s Pizza customer who purchases a piece of artwork during the Nov. 20 exhibit will receive a free medium-sized pizza. More than 50 pizzas were given away last year. Many of the artists will be on hand to talk about their projects.

The artists have been working on a variety of techniques including collage, acrylic and watercolor, mixed media and acrylic pours. Acrylic pouring involves layering different acrylic paints in a cup that has blending medium mixed in it. The paint is then poured onto the canvas using various methods. Artists let the paint flow, and the results are sometimes unexpected but always beautiful. Everyone who looks at these paintings can see something different.

The exhibit will feature more than 50 paintings using a variety of mediums. There will also be mosaic and acrylic pour flowerpots for sale. Notecards and Christmas cards based on the artworks will be available for purchase as well. The artists receive the money from their painting sales, but the card sales go into purchasing supplies for the program.

The Creative heARTs program has had art on display at Pat’s Pizza for more than seven years. “We can’t thank Pat’s Pizza and owner Alex Kotanides enough for the support these past years. Every year, Alex asks us, ‘How can we make it better?’ This is the artists’ biggest event of the year, and everyone looks forward to the community coming in and seeing their hard work ... and eating the pizza,” said Christy Cugno, program director.

“We hope everyone will start their Christmas shopping with us Nov. 20.  It is a great time to buy for loved ones and give back to their community at the same time. The look on the artists’ faces and the pride it brings when they sell a painting is priceless,” said Cugno.

For more information or to purchase cards, call Cugno at 302-934-3730, Ext. 111 or email christy_cugno@use.salvationarmy.org. For more information on Pat’s Pizza or to order, call 302- 644-9070 or go to www.patsfamilyrestaurant.com.