Paul WilliamsArtists Jack Duffy and daughter Maryhelen Duffy Kobylarz are well known in Delaware County for their work with the St. Francis Players, and on Sunday, Nov. 10, their work was exhibited on the Cabrini campus on the second floor lobby in the Holy Spirit Library, hosted by Dr. Bethany and the fine arts department.
The collection includes a series of five paintings of Sea Isle done by both Jack and Maryhelen, including one of Mrs. Duffy’s late brother painted days before his death, various wooden geometric creations by Jack and a wall of “the outdoors,” which includes landscapes and floral still-life painted by Maryhelen.
The centerpiece is an oil painting done by Jack of Maryhelen at the age of five. It appears on the invitation and is visible from the entrance.
Both Jack and Maryhelen have been involved with the design and painting elements for the Saint Francis Players musical productions. The collection includes working sketches for backdrops for shows such as “Hello Dolly,” “High-Button Shoes” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
Maryhelen is now an art teacher at the Scenic Hills School in Springfield, Pa.
Her most significant piece is a 39-feet by 6-feet, acrylic on cinderblock, mural of a rainforest done in Scenic Hills School, she said. She uses it as part of her curriculum. A video showed the full mural while a sketch hung with the rest of the collection.
Jack Duffy attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia after which he spent 29 years teaching graphic design at the Art Institute in Philadelphia.
The exhibit will be on display in the Joseph and Grace Gorevin Fine Arts Gallery, on the second floor of the Holy Spirit Library from Nov. 10 through Dec. 8.
