Danville Art League – October Exhibit

The Danville Art League gallery will feature the artwork Don Merrit during the month of October. An open house will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 21.

Merrit’s complete collection will be available for viewing, and most of it he is putting up for sale. Besides wishing to share his paintings with the public, he wants to find good homes for many of them.

Merritt, 89, is still creating more works of art annually than most artists half his age. Most of his paintings have been done after his retirement from Rockwell International in 1995.

A Hoopeston native, Merrit attended elementary through high school, then worked at odd jobs until he was drafted into the Army. After his two years of duty, he returned to Hoopeston and worked for FMC Corp for five and a half years drawing service manuals for the company. It was at this time he decided to continue his education and spent the next four years at Illinois State University as an art major. After teaching for a brief period, he made the decision to go to California, where he remained for 31 years, 23 of which involved employment as a computer artist for Rockwell International.

In 2000, Merrit returned to his roots and settled in Danville where he lives today, pouring out paintings from his sunroom studio.

Even though Merrit enjoys painting various subjects, his favorites are portraits and animals. Most works are done from photographs while others are strictly created from his imagination with minimal reference material when needed.

The Art League is open Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. An appointment can also be made by calling the Art League at 217-442-9264 and leaving a contact number.