Finally: At 94, artist gets an exhibit

Artist Queenie Torigian has done a lot in her 94 years, but one thing she’s never had is an exhibition of her work. “She told me, ‘I want to have a show,’” said her daughter, Alysia Kehoe. “I told her I’d make it happen.”

True to her word, Kehoe did just that. The show, entitled “A Life of Expression: Queenie Torigian” opens Friday, July 17 at The Haven Coffeehouse in Lexington.

Born in Europe but raised in the U.S., Queenie was a third-grader at an elementary school in New York City when a teacher recognized her talent, gave her colored paper and pencils and encouraged her to explore her skills. “It was the during the Depression, and those materials were quite rare at the time,” Kehoe said.

Inspired, Queenie went to work, drawing what she saw and experienced, documenting it with passion, color and excitement. Over the years, she expanded her range, experimenting with sculpture and textiles; dabbling in watercolor, tempera and Japanese painting techniques. The show will feature works from every stage of her 94 years, including her time in New York, where she attended the McDowell Fashion School and took time to paint in all five boroughs, studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, travels through the South of France, the Rocky Mountains and Florida and her time in South Carolina. For the first time, her paintings will be available for sale. “She’s always given them to friends,” Kehoe noted.

The Haven Coffeehouse is located at 121 E. Main St. in Lexington. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (803) 356-1402.