Meet Elizabeth Rohrbaugh | Painter, Creative Educator, President and Founder of WACH

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, how does your business help the community?
I was prompted to start the Women’s Art Club of Hamilton in the spring of 2022 as our communities were coming out of the pandemic. Artists generally work in isolation and women artists especially can face some unique challenges as they juggle home life, caregiving responsibilities, their art and / or professional responsibilities. I personally was feeling the weight of all of those things and yearned for some like minded creative friends to meet with and share challenges and solutions.

In a very short time I was met with an overwhelmingly positive response as a community of local women expressed the same desire. We began meeting monthly to discuss or create art and found fellowship and support in the group.

The club’s mission is to use art as a common denominator that connects community members, encourage growth in artistic appreciation, craft and conception and artistically enrich our community. So far, it has done just that.
To deepen the connection in the community, whenever possible the members choose to meet at local Hamilton businesses or patronize them before or after meetings. We’ve had tremendous involvement and support from two leading art galleries in Hamilton, The Strauss Gallery and The Fitton Center for Creative Arts. We return that support with philanthropic events, community involvement and volunteerism.

The members range in age from 21-80s and beyond and we support women on their artistic journey from beginner to professional.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
While my first professional career spanned almost 20 yrs at Procter and Gamble in Research & Development, I continued to practice art on the side. I’m a life long artist and have come to accept that creativity is an essential element in my life. While at P&G, I taught for Young Rembrandts, an after school art program for children to feed my need for creative engagement. And in any stolen moments I could find while working and raising a family, I painted for myself.

I left P&G to work at Miami University as the Assistant Director of Opening Minds through Art (OMA), an intergenerational art program for people with dementia. My father was living with Alzheimer’s at the time and I was interested in creative ways to help him. I saw my sister have success engaging him with music and movement and, as an artist, I wanted to learn more about the benefits visual art may have for that population. In my time with OMA I was able to recruit and train a group of students from local high schools and community members to volunteer with the program and implement it at my father’s long term care facility. Additionally, we worked to grow the program from 7-8 local facilities to roughly 175 internationally by crafting and implementing a facilitator training that could be replicated anywhere.
In the midst of my professional work I was also a caregiver to multiple family members at different times.

I left Miami to focus on our growing extended family, care for my mother and finally to devote time to my own art professionally.
I know there are many, like me, who have delayed their artistic focus until later in life and they lament the lost time. I, however, feel like every facet of my prior professional careers enabled me to be successful in my role now as independent artist and President and Founder of the Women’s Art Club of Hamilton.

Of course I would have preferred to have more time in any of those stages to focus on my art. My family, however, will always come first.
That said, I was still able to keep art in my life in some way at every stage. I note this not to boast but to encourage.
I’ve encountered very few artists who can make their work a top priority and not have any other demands in their life. The more prevalent reality is that we as artists learn to create in cracks of time amidst our responsibilities to work and family. We can’t wait for huge blocks of time to make art because we likely will never get them. But we can all find 15min a day. And I’ve learned that makes all the difference.

Slow and steady wins this race because it is a marathon, not a sprint. My creative journey won’t end until I do. I don’t view my delayed career as an artist as a disappointment. I view it as an accomplishment of determination. And I think the same could apply to any endeavor.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hamilton, OH has experienced so much revitalization over the past several years and there are so many fun places to go now!
A nice weather day would prompt a visit to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park where we could walk and explore the beautiful outdoor sculptures, or visit the museum featuring ancient sculptures. I particularly enjoy sketching and painting there en plein air!
Another day we could explore the cute boutiques and shops in Hamilton like Sara’s House, Wildfire, and of course stop in to see the artwork on display in The Strauss Gallery and The Fitton Center. Then we could grab a drink at Municipal Brew Works and a snack from their daily food truck and walk across the bridge to the west side to shop at The Local or make a candle at Petals and Wicks. Dinner at Billy Yanks!

If its raining, The Studio is a fun place to spend an afternoon painting pottery. Once it clears up, a walk in Millikin Woods Park and then Fretboard rooftop for dinner! Maybe catch a concert at Riversedge!

The Great Miami River bike path is a great way to work off all the yummy dinners. Pedal for 40-50 miles round trip and you’ll really look forward to the delicious dinner at Tano Bistro. Their outdoor patio is lovely in the summer.

Heading into Cincinnati, the art museum is a must see. CAM is free to the and always has an interesting rotating exhibit. Their cafe is a beautiful spot for a lunch break!
Since you’re down that way, I would head over to Indigo Hippo to pick up some interesting consignment art supplies and check out The Eagle for some delicious fried chicken.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to recognize Kathy Klink , 17 Strong board member and recent recipient of the David L. Belew Legacy award. Her support and mentorship provided the encouragement to move forward with this endeavor and she continues to offer advice and community connection.

Additionally, the collaboration and interaction the Women’s Art Club of Hamilton has received from The Strauss Gallery (David Stark, Jay Kidd) and The Fitton Center (Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, Cathy Mayhugh) has helped pave the way as our club experienced such quick growth. The unique relationship we’ve formed with both galleries enabled WACH to hold two very successful dual-venue art exhibits in the first two years!

Website: www.elizabethannrohrbaugh.com
www.womensartclubofhamilton.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_ann_rohrbaugh/ https://www.instagram.com/womens_art_club_of_hamilton/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethannrohrbaugh

Image Credits
Robert Rohrbaugh