One Boerne art studio owner brings the joy of artmaking to people of all ages, including area Alzheimer’s patients.
Story by Pamela Price
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Perhaps you’ve encountered the delightful paintings of Gina Reese, owner of Gina Marie’s Art Studio on Boerne’s Main Street? We first met her on Instagram and through her neighbor, Amy Bierstedt of From Scratch Farm. The two women share a business entrance, one in which Gina recently painted a pair of angel wings.
What we didn’t know until we sat down with the studio owner in person one sunny autumn morning is that Gina comes to her art studio from a corporate background.
“I taught art for years in Alamo Heights, but my real job was in business,” Gina said. “I worked for Rolls Royce and then Lockheed Martin, doing corporate human resources. I was working 60 hours a week in those days, and my kids were still small. I just wasn’t spending the time that I needed to spend with them, and so off I went to St. Mary’s.”
The university gig provided a steady job with fewer hours and the opportunity for Gina to nurture her creative side. Brother Cletus Behlman, a locally renowned Marianist artist who trained at The Art Institute of Chicago, invited Gina to his studio and nurtured her talents.
“I would go to the studio and watch him work, just hang out with him and learn from him.”
Alas, Brother Cletus passed away in 2016 at the age of 82. Within a relatively short time Gina found herself facing her own fiftieth birthday and wondering about her own next steps should be, professionally speaking. That’s when she discovered space in Boerne–and the chance to open her own studio.
“I decided to follow my heart.”
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Today Gina manages a 1,400 square-foot studio space, teaches toddler art and homeschool classes, hosts corporate and team-building events, and performs community outreach to special events with a tiny crew of teen artists. She’s open to trying new ideas for which her space and talents can help families build memories.
“One of my favorite art studio events was a family Christmas party. The grandparents hosted it for their kids, grandkids, and other family. They brought in barbecue, and we just painted and painted. We did a nutcracker painting, but each one was different and the conversations sparked were so fun. It was both a reunion and a holiday party.”
Gina is passionate about making those kinds of memories between generations, not just in her Boerne studio but also in nursing facilities serving Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.
“I was introduced to Memories in the Making by Peggy Connolly at Franklin Park. The program is part of the Alzheimer’s Association, and it was started by a California woman who was trying to find a way to connect with her own mother through art.”
As anyone who has worked with (or loved) elders dealing with memory issues knows, this kind of volunteer work demands a patient temperament and also a willing to be open to the process. To prepare, Gina went through a special training program.
“I’ve been working with the program since 2012. On a good day and in the right setting, a patient can remember and record a memory to share with their family.”
By way of example, Gina shared the story of an elderly gentleman who, on his first day with her, didn’t want to paint. On his second day, he painted a blue cat. On the third day, something shifted in him, perhaps brought on by the relaxing ambiance Gina creates for the elders.
“He painted a lake, boats, fish and named the lake and his kids. He was from upstate New York, and for a brief while he remembered something from his past. When his grown children saw the painting, and I shared with them everything he’d said about the day that he’d recalled with me, they started crying. They remembered it, too. He was still their father.”
The experience demonstrates why, although she’s busy growing a small town business and painting angel wings in doorways, Gina remains passionate about her volunteer work helping Alzheimer’s patients.
“It just makes my heart happy.”
You can learn more about Gina Marie’s Art Studio at GinaMariesArt.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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