SALISBURY -- Dr. Carol Wood, interim dean of the Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Education and Professional Studies at Salisbury University, recently accepted the seventh addition to the Artists of the Eastern Shore Collection established by Dr. Amy Stephens Meekins and family of Cambridge.

The collection is displayed in the Teacher Education and Technology Center (TETC) and includes works by W. Robert Tolley, Beebe M. Winterbottom, Paul Lockhart, Myrna C. McGrath, Patrick Henry and Sarah E. Kagan. The Artists of the Eastern Shore Collection provides a legacy of artistic interpretations of life on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It features artists who live on the shore and whose artwork highlights some element of regional life. When complete, the collection will feature the work of 10 artists.

The seventh gift is an original oil painting entitled “Dreamers” by Worcester County artist Lynne Lockhart. “Dreamers” features three children who watch with awe Assateague ponies in the background.  This unique perspective of the famous ponies fits the collection both in its depiction of a familiar facet of life on the Eastern Shore and its focus on children who are an integral part of many programs in the Seidel School.

A former resident of Dorchester County, Lockhart now resides in Worcester County and is a celebrated Eastern Shore artist and a co-author and illustrator of children’s books.  She graduated from SU with a double major in biology and art. Lockhart has taken classes offered at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and continues her studies by enrolling in workshops.  Lockhart’s study of anatomy has influenced many aspects of her art.  She won the Kimbel Oelke Memorial award for painting from the American Academy of Equine Artists in 2006.

Lockhart’s “en plein aire” painting style lends itself well to the Eastern Shore themes in the books she illustrates including Once a Pony Time and Rambling Raft both co-authored by Lockhart and her mother, Barbara Lockhart.  Prior to the official presentation of the painting, both visited a children’s literature class taught by Dr. Ernie Bond, chair of the Teacher Education Department, where they shared their experiences with the writing and illustration of books for children.

Lockhart’s painting will first be displayed in the dean’s reception area before moving to its permanent location in the outer office area of the Social Work Department.

In addition to artistically enhancing the TETC, the Artists of the Eastern Shore Collection provides students with a unique artistic glimpse of the landscapes that surround them as they live and pursue their academic endeavors. The Meekins’ gift will continue over the next two years, with an addition to the collection made each semester.