Meet Bill Tremitiere, who, with a twinkle in his eye, describes his art as “either an experiment or an accident.” A talented yet self-effacing artist, Bill has been the driving force behind VAC’s quarterly exhibits for many years. We hope you enjoy learning about Bill’s passion for art and his genuine compassion for people. By Marie Doyon and Bill Riski Where are you from and what do you make? I am from Pennsylvania and attended Grove City College, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. I then went to the University of Pittsburgh, receiving a Master of Social Work in Community Organization. I took a few art courses but didn’t learn much. My primary career was in human services: program administration, advocacy and resource development for children, refugee resettlement, mental health counseling, and working with people who are developmentally disabled.  As a boy, one of my favorite gifts was a Kodak Brownie camera which sparked a lifelong interest in photography. I saved my grass-cutting money to make my first serious purchase – a 35mm camera. In the early 60s, I entered my first photography contest while stationed with the army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. I took first place with an unusual view of the Alamo. I decided to stop while I was ahead and didn’t enter another contest for fifty years. I did make stained glass for a while until I was satisfied with that interest.  I especially enjoy travel photography; capturing the scenic beauty of nature, architecture, and candid shots of people engaged in ordinary life activities. Of course, if they are doing them in places like Paris, Provence, Tuscany, Greece, or the Low Country, I find them even more interesting to document. One of my projects a few years ago was to produce… Read More

This installment of Celebrating Dataw Artists features an accomplished artist who, while small in stature, is living large! Meet Tricia Gardner, one of the early members of the Dataw Visual Arts Club and an avid world traveler. The latter has allowed her to pursue her passion for art and see the wonders of the world at the same time.  by Marie Doyon and Bill Riski Where are you from and what do you make? My early years were spent in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Pennsylvania State University in Business Administration with a major in business and finance. I was the only female in the program then, having switched from a fine arts major. Following graduation and a brief stint in Binghamton, New York, I moved to the Washington, DC area. After working in the private sector in research, communication, and financial management for three years, I began a 35-year career with the Federal Government, beginning with a Navy Internship Program in Acquisition Management. During this time, I also pursued graduate studies in Administrative Management at George Washington University. Future positions included upper management roles at the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Library of Congress, and the Government Printing Office. I retired from the latter agency as the Director of the Office of Information Resource Management. I was responsible for the Headquarters’ Computer Center and analysts in Washington, Telecommunications and its network in 17 regional offices as well as the IT liaison with Congress. Perhaps one of the most rewarding projects of my career was working with The Congressional Task Force to Assist the Emerging Democracies in Eastern Europe. As their Contracting Officer, I acquired the infrastructure, computers, networks, and voting systems necessary to support a democratic government. My work took me to the former Eastern Bloc countries from the Balkans to the… Read More