June 27 – August 1
Main Library, Curt Bessette Art Gallery
Juanita is a self-taught watercolor artist who began painting late in life. Assuming family obligations after the death of her father when she was 13, then developing a successful business career and tending to her own family, left little time for her art interests until after retirement.
Her business career began as a trainee at one of Cincinnati’s largest local banks, after which she was on the administrative staff of a Fortune-100 manufacturing company. She then devoted 14 years to the role of CFO of a local architectural firm, moving on from there to a 50-person Cincinnati-based structural/civil engineering firm from which she retired as administrative partner after 20 years.
Following her “retirement,” Juanita accepted positions as interim CEO and Board Chair of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and later as Executive Director of the statewide Leadership Ohio program. Her educational degrees are in business administration and accounting
Throughout her life, Juanita has been active in the business and non-profit communities, serving on more than 35 boards of directors of business, non-profit, educational, arts, and health care organizations. She founded four non-profit organizations, and received numerous business, community and leadership awards throughout her career.
Ever seeking to learn, improve and stay active, Juanita became certified as a Master Gardener in 2010 through a program of the University of Kentucky. She regularly volunteers at Cooperative Extension demo gardens, growing produce that is donated to local food pantries.
Juanita’s next phase of learning and doing began in 2022, when at age 83 she began immersing herself in watercolor painting. There she not only found an outlet for creativity, but could satisfy a sketching habit that often got her in trouble during elementary school classes!
Due to long-standing vision problems, Juanita creates her art at her Ft. Wright home with the aid of special lighting and magnification equipment, enabling the unique combination of precise detail and broader perspective that have come to define her paintings.
About the Gallery
The Curt Bessette Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the Main Library. It features work by regional and national artists as well as special, themed exhibits. The gallery gives local artists a chance to display their work for sale.
The namesake of the gallery, Curt Bessette, was a quiet child who spent many hours drawing and creating art of the people and scenes around him. As time passed, his interest in art and talent for various artistic styles only grew until he became known by his peers as the Artist. Mr. Bessette also served on the Boone County Public Library Board of Trustees from July 2016 to February 2017.
Please visit bcpl.org/bessette-gallery for more information about the space and how to display your work.
