Sue Tushingham McNary Submitted by Kelly Purvis
Not so long ago, I walked into the Coronado Retirement Village and noticed a painting class in process in the activity room. A petite blonde resident with a paintbrush in her hand was creating a beautiful landscape on a small canvas. She had a sweet smile and pure joy on her face as her brush made small strokes on the canvas. The others around her were intent on their own works and didn’t pay much notice. I walked over to the table and greeted Sue McNary and mentioned to the participants that she was a well-known artist who had once had a gallery in the Hotel del Coronado and that her paintings were in the collections of Prince Charles, Michael Douglas and Dick Van Dyke, to name a few. I chuckled when one of the elderly residents immediately leaned over, took a critical look at her painting and asked if she could have Sue’s landscape.
In the fall of 2015 during the 125th
Anniversary Celebration for the City of Coronado, the Cultural Arts Commission honored Sue Tushingham McNary with an exhibition. Over 50 pieces of her work went on display for a magical weekend showcasing
her
work.
Cultural
Arts
Commission Chair Heidi Wilson and Visual Arts Commissioner Amy Steward worked with Sue to curate the exhibition and Sue graciously donated a portion of the proceeds from sales during the event to the programs of the Cultural Arts Commission. Wilson, a founding member of the Arts Commission remembers discussing the idea of an exhibition with Sue and was delighted that she was interested to have her work showcased during Coronado’s 125 Celebration. That same year Sue was celebrating 50 years as an artist, so it seemed an appropriate event to include in the city celebrations. Commissioner Coronado Magazine
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