Seymour Lemonick, 90, a Cheltenham Township resident and retired Philadelphia teacher and football coach, opened his first-ever art exhibition on Friday, June 27 at MidMod Decor (827 Glenside Avenue, Suite 103 in Wyncote).

From MidMor’s description of the exhibit:

Born in Philadelphia in 1934, Lemonick is a retired high school history teacher and football coach who discovered a passion for woodworking in the early 1980s while still teaching at Olney High School. Initially drawn to lathe work, he soon shifted his focus to free-form carving using found wood, allowing the natural shape of the material to guide his creations. Over the years, this hobby grew into a small business, and as a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, he exhibited and sold his more functional work – hand-carved vases and bowls – at regional craft fairs.

Since retiring in 1991, Lemonick has devoted himself fully to his craft, working out of a small but mighty home woodshop in Elkins Park, PA. Influenced by the work of Brancusi, Henry Moore, and Barbara Hepworth, Lemonick’s pieces blend organic form with mid-century sensibility.

He was featured today by The Philadelphia Inquirer in an article titled “This former Philly teacher and coach is staging his first art exhibition — at age 90.” Lemonick is “a sculptor and self-taught woodworker” and his Elkins Park home (pictured above on the right) is described as a “makeshift museum”.

An excerpt from the article:

Woodworking felt like a revelation, he said. First came the lathe, then, Lemonick began exploring free-form carving with found wood. He had a knack for it, and became an expert in wood, a more confident artist.

Lemonick began showing some of his pieces — hand-carved bowls and vases — at craft fairs. He became a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

After retiring from teaching in 1991, Lemonick threw himself into his art even more. His base of operations was in the garage of his Elkins Park home, a room so narrow and jammed that it’s difficult for two people to stand together.

Lemonick’s exhibit, titled “Unshown Works”, is open until Sunday, July 13.

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Photos: midmod-decor.com