Retired art teacher honored at Life Care art show
Larry Hewett is a retired Columbus County art teacher who spent much of his career devoting his time and efforts to not only his students, but to the patients of Lower Cape Fear Lifecare (LCFL) as well.
Now a patient himself, Hewett is completing an item on his bucket list: to display his lifelong works in an art show.
Bucket list wishes are not regular occurrences at LCFL, and each resident has a different request. The facility tries to fulfill lists for the patients using the Angel Fund.
“The Angel Fund is a special fund comprised of team members’ contributions to help patients fulfill wishes, when possible,” said Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Community Engagement Eric Walker.
Hewett is no ordinary patient at the facility.
He volunteered at LCFL for six years after retiring as an AIG Specialist and Instructional Technology facilitator and elementary art teacher with the Columbus County Schools. During his teaching career, he was a recipient of the Milken Educator Award in recognition of his art exchange program. He created Adopt-A-Star to introduce his students to the world, people, and cultures.
At the time, he was quoted as saying “I help my students to discover that art is a window through which they can see the world beyond Chadbourn, as well as the world inside themselves.”
Through the program, his students exhibited work in more than 11 counties in the state, 42 cities across the U.S., and in five foreign countries. His students also created a mural reflecting prevention as part of a drug and alcohol awareness project. The piece won a national championship and was exhibited at the nation’s Capital building. It was also published in a nationally distributed calendar.
Hewett became acquainted with LCFL’s Angel House Hospice Care Center while his aunt was a resident. He brought approximately 200 students to the facility to deliver blankets they had made to patients and their families.
After retiring from teaching, Hewett began volunteering for the local nonprofit. He also painted a mural for the children’s playroom at the Angel House. The room doubled for children’s grief care services.
Hewett had to end his volunteer work after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and sometime later, he became a patient at LCFL.
Lower Cape Fear LifeCare will be hosting Hewett’s bucket wish list art show on Wednesday, July 20, from 1-4 p.m. The event will take place at in the bistro of Grapeful Sisters Winery located a 95 Dot Lane in Tabor City. The show is open to the public, and the agency is hoping that many people from the community will attend to celebrate Hewett and share in his talent.
