Helen Gilmore grew up on a small farm inspired by the wonder and beauty of the great outdoors — riding horses, playing outside and discovering the joy of drawing.
Helen Gilmore grew up on a small farm inspired by the wonder and beauty of the great outdoors — riding horses, playing outside and discovering the joy of drawing.
In 10th grade, her art teacher at Middlefield High School planted a seed that would honor her roots and help her blossom into the artist she is today.
“I was encouraged to pursue art,” Gilmore said. “I was thrilled and through the years, (I) studied at art centers and picked up workshops to improve my skills.”
She went on to a career in nursing and worked in child support at the Geauga County Courthouse, where her artistic talents were was once again encouraged after she drew a portrait for the late Judge Frank Lavrich in 1984.
“He asked if I would choose a frame at Chardon’s local art shop,” Gilmore said. “Then, they asked if I would be interested in sketching for the Geauga (County) Maple Festival Hall of Fame portraits.”
Gilmore — who was born in 1954 to parents Roger and Betty Stapel — fortuitously had connections to the maple syrup industry.
“I have pictures of my dad and his father, Carl Stapel, gathering saps in the woods with work horses, steam and smoke rolling out the chimney of the classic style sugarhouse in Hambden,” Gilmore recalled.
She accepted the honor and began preserving the county’s maple heritage in charcoal drawings housed inside the Patterson Center at the Geauga County Fairgrounds.
The dedication of the hall of fame was held at a luncheon at Chardon Lakes Inn on April 27, 1984, and a permanent way of recognizing those who significantly contributed to the maple syrup industry in the county was born.
“The tie to this center is its communication link with the agricultural community in the county, since it houses The Ohio State Extension Service office, as well as the (county) Soil and Water Conservation District office,” Jim Patterson said.
About 66 sketches currently are hanging inside the center and are displayed in the basement area, which serves as a meeting place for groups mostly involved in agriculture.
“Along with the portraits are also the wonderful framed photographs of the sugarhouses of winning maple syrup producers over the years, done by Paul Newman,” Patterson said. “He replaced Tim Struna, who created drawings in those first years before he moved away.”
Every spring before the maple festival, Gilmore receives a call from Patterson reminding her it’s that time of year again and asking if she’s available to help with a sketch or two.
He emails a photo of the hall of fame inductee and Gilmour has it printed. Each charcoal sketch takes about six hours.
“My husband, Gary, critiques — (it’s) always good to have an extra set of eyes. When satisfied, it’s off to the framer and from there, it’s history,” Gilmore said.
Over the years, she has received praise from loved ones who were the recipient of her kindness.
“Time has a way of losing track of the past,” Patterson said. “We are grateful to the Geauga County Historical Society for more recently creating a special place for the story of ‘maple’ in our county’s history. Their visitors from near and far can leaf through a book that has replicated the portraits and will continue to be updated as years go by.”
The importance of the hall of fame, as well as the syrup auction, is to keep the “uniqueness of maple syrup in the public’s eye,” Patterson said.
“The producers are willing to give of their time, experience, energy, knowledge and love for the industry to create a fun and meaningful way to reach out with their story,” he said.
The annual hall of fame luncheon, cancelled this year due to COVID-19, is a way to gather the people “who have maple syrup running through their veins in one place to follow the new ideas, the new syrup producers and reminisce of the days past,” Patterson said.
“Helen has taken a personal interest in creating the likeness of each hall of fame inductee, which makes it special,” he said. “Her talent brings out not only the facial features of each individual, but seems to embody their personality, as well. We are especially fortunate that she has continued to willingly bring her artistry to our hall of fame.”
