Swim in Pure Drinking Water

This painting recently won third place in Tamarack's Best of West Virginia Juried Show. Last week it was purchased from the gallery. The piece depicts a local public swimming pool (Rock Lake Pool) that was around for a long time in South Charleston, WV but closed in the mid-1980s. The pool was developed from an old rock quarry and had all manner of swings, slides, and other attractions to draw in visitors. 

The painting's title and theme of the piece, are in reference to the advertising verbiage they used to market the pool in its early days. Apparently, people of color were not allowed entry into the pool for a large part of its history. Combining that history with the marketing slogan made for an interesting dichotomy.

36" x 48" oil on canvas