Volunteering at San Marino High School’s Grad Night certainly has its benefits, but few are as far-reaching as those experienced by Dana Marevich.
“It was 2000 and I was co-chair that year,” said Marevich. “The theme was Alice In Wonderland and I was painting at the main entrance to the gym, the road to the Castle of the Red Queen. I painted a large part of that display and I thought, ‘This is kind of cool. I think I like this.’”
Marevich chaired the 2002 event, Dr. Seuss, and in 2003 – with both sons off to college – decided to take action on her new passion, signing on with local painter Eva Margueriette for a series of lessons.
“I had sort of dabbled all my life, but after Grad Night I decided to take it more seriously.”
Marevich has created a body of work substantial enough to warrant her own exhibit at the Crowell Public Library, which will hang until Friday, January 5, 2018.
Her colorful paintings feature subjects near and far, from the now-removed Lacy Park Rose Arbor to a church in Croatia. From the Castle Green to a row of windmills in Kinderkijk, in the Netherlands. Detail and overview brought to life in the rich medium of watercolor.
“I have done some oil painting but I have seemed to gravitate towards watercolor,” she said. “When you travel, it’s much easier. You can take your materials and paint anywhere.”
The 26 (very affordable) paintings in her show are each for sale, but Marevich told The Tribune she paints primarily “for personal enjoyment.”
Much of her subject matter includes bridges.
“After my lessons with Eva, I began painting with a friend named Cheryl Zimmer and we would spend a lot of time down in the Arroyo Seco,” she explained. “There are a lot of bridges which span the Arroyo and I love to paint them. It was glorious to be out in the fresh air, painting.”
Her favorite single painting is also on display and for sale at the library: Atelier Cezanne, Post Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, France, which she has visited.
“To walk into the studio and see the accoutrement, his smock, his paints,” Marevich said, her voice trailing off in nostalgia.
Marevich also has a passion for Showcase House for the Arts, where she has volunteered since 2003. This past year, she served as Benefit Chair. In 2018, she will take on the role of an advisor before serving as president in 2019.
“They give you a year off before you become president,” she said. “A year where your husband can get to know what it’s like to have a home-cooked meal.”
The husband to whom she refers is Mike. The couple has two children, Austin and Andy, who graduated from San Marino High School.
Dana remains active in the San Marino Unified School District’s PTAffiliates and is still a supporter of Grad Night.
“It I so much fun,” Marevich said. “Anyone who doesn’t do it, well, they are really missing out. You are sharing thoughts about your children with other parents and you are honoring your children, all at once. I think working at Grad Night really helps parents deal with their children taking the next step.”
And who knows. You might just develop a new hobby.
The Crowell Public Library is open Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The library will be closed on December 24 and 25 and on January 1, 2018.
