A beautiful painting by Lynn Boggess will be auctioned on Friday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. during a party to honor the Life and Legacy of Dr. Tom Isaac. Online bidding began Aug. 30. Mrs. Sissy Isaac and the Greenbrier Historical Society are giving the party in the back yard at 1168 Washington Street, West, in Lewisburg. Tickets are available by calling 304-645-3398.
Dr. Isaac or “Tom” to all his many friends moved to Lewisburg from Charleston following his retirement from a very successful veterinary practice. He and “Sissy” immediately became supporters of many organizations including the Greenbrier Historical Society. He served as a Board Member, Finance and Event Committee Chair, and Treasurer during his time there.
In 2019, Tom was honored with a “History Hero” award from the Division of Arts, Culture and History of the State of West Virginia for his outstanding work supporting and promoting the history of the Greenbrier Valley. Tom seldom met a party he didn’t enjoy whether it was just him and Sissy in their back yard or down on Second Creek, or hundreds attending a party he had helped arrange. He was a connoisseur of fine wine and an extraordinary cook.
To further honor his memory and support a cause he held dear, a painting by Lynn Boggess has been donated for auction at this event. All proceeds benefit the Greenbrier Historical Society.
Boggess does not name his paintings in a conventional way. They are named by the day they were finished making this one “23 October 2008.” It measures approximately 40 x 45 inches and is a marvelous fall scene. The painting is currently on display at the Greenbrier Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau in Lewisburg.
From his web site, Jennifer Hall Boggess notes, “Lynn Boggess grew up in rural West Virginia, where he spent his days roaming hillsides and creek beds. His first paintings reveal a precocious understanding of the natural world. In those early works, the viewer can recognize species of trees, atmosphere is present in the rolling landscape, and depictions of creeks are infused with memories and knowledge of what lay beneath the large rocks and sand…. Then on a pretty day in 2000, he decided to take a break from the studio and he went outside to paint some nature studies. On a whim, he took a cement trowel that was on a table near the basement door. The trowel afforded him an immediacy that a brush could not. Because the tool could cover large areas quickly, he was able to accurately record a specific time and place. Additionally, the thick paint behaved almost as a sculptural medium, giving the paintings a heightened physical presence….”
His work is displayed in galleries from coast to coast including the Cooper Gallery in Lewisburg.
The auction of this spectacular piece by Martha Hilton of Fathom Realty will take place live during the party at 7 p.m. and on-line using Bidding Owl preceding and during the live auction. Please visit the Greenbrier Historical Society web site at www.greenbrierhistorical.org or https://www.biddingowl.com/GreenbrierHistoricalSocie\for more information on how to bid on-line.
Janice Cooley, president of the Greenbrier Historical Society, said, “We all miss Tom so much and we cannot think of a better way to celebrate his legacy and the marvelous man that he was than a party in his honor.”
Tickets for the party and auction are available by calling 304-645-3398.The event will be in the back yard in the open air with a tent for shelter if needed. Adjustments to the appetizer service will be made as necessary given the COVID situation at the time.
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