Elaine C. Wolfe Celebrates 40 Years at CCA

Indianapolis born, Elaine C. Wolfe, is a woman of many talents and accomplishments.  The artists of the CCA Gallery in Carmel are helping her celebrate one of those accomplishments --- being an artist and owner of the gallery for forty years. Her artwork will be featured in CCA Gallery during the month of October. Gallery hours are Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. and Sunday 12–5 p.m.

Elaine’s original goal in life was to be an artist, but her mother told her that she could not make a living as an artist.  Elaine became a biology teacher instead.  She earned four college degrees, two in science and two in education. Her last degree was a doctorate at the age of 57.  She became a nationally award-winning biology teacher during her 36 years of teaching.  She was runner up for the Indiana State Teacher of the Year, was Outstanding Biology Teacher of Indiana, recipient of both NSF and NASA grants, and is a Distinguished Purdue University Alumna in the School of Science for her science teaching.

In the interim, she never gave up her art as she lived in five different states and traveled to every continent except Antarctica.  She used her travel and life experiences to improve her teaching and to enrich her art.  Her formal art training occurred on the East Coast where she was a member of Philadelphia Artist Equity, Philadelphia Print Club, Woodmere Art Gallery, Main Line Center of the Arts, Upper Merion Cultural Center, and Norristown Art League.  She exhibited all along the East Coast, even once in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Returning to Indiana, she taught in the Pike Township School District where she was a Science Department Chair and Interdisciplinary Team Leader.  Meanwhile, she tried to find her niche in the Indianapolis art scene. Elaine was invited by one of the original members of CCA to join the gallery just before they moved from their original site in a house north of the Broad Ripple Canal to Carrollton Avenue next to the Broad Ripple Post Office.  Elaine quickly assumed a leadership role in the gallery becoming in turn, Advertising Chair, Vice-President, President, Hanging Chair, Special Exhibits Chair, and was Secretary for twenty-five years.  Elaine helped the gallery move to Cedar Street and then Main Street in Zionsville, and recently to Main Street in the Arts District of Carmel.  Meanwhile she became a member of Hoosier Salon, Central Indiana Artists, Watercolor Society of Indiana, Indiana Wildlife Artists, Hamilton County Artists Association, Indiana Artists, Inc., and Southside Art League.  She has won numerous prizes in acrylic/oils, watercolor, and printmaking.

Elaine describes her relationship to CCA as one of being the “mother hen” of this, her second family.  She has remained through the years as the encourager of younger artists, as a confident, and as a perpetuator of the business climate of the cooperative group.  CCA itself celebrated its 40th Anniversary several years ago and Elaine was able to tell stories about the original gallery and its members and members who have since moved on.  She chaired a feature exhibit of past members for that celebration and she remarked at that time that the challenges of CCA membership have always been to help each other, to work for the common good, and to celebrate the accomplishments of everyone in the gallery.

During this pandemic, younger members have graciously worked “her days” in the gallery because of her health conditions.  This has allowed her to stay healthy and to remain painting, as well as writing.  While she was already a published author of her 400-page dissertation, poetry, and science articles in science magazines, she will soon accomplish one of her “bucket list” items.  She used her Covid-19 isolation to write a novel, “The Spanish Beauty”, which will be on sale this Christmas season.  This Special 40th Anniversary Exhibit at CCA Gallery in Carmel will feature almost all new artworks, also accomplished during the pandemic.

Elaine’s philosophy of hard work is accompanied by her appreciation of nature and life in general.  She says, “God gave us such a beautiful and wondrous world to live in and to study.  My artwork attempts to show this beauty to others so that they can remember moments in their lives of glorious sunsets, tranquil forest scenes, colorful flowers, stately seascapes, and other lovely visions, even of architectural features of buildings that compliment God’s creation.”