Sun-Gazette announces church painting contest winner: Deb Trate
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Deb Trate's watercolor painting of the Community Baptist Church, located at 1853 Route 87, is the winner of this year's Sun-Gazette church painting contest.
Trate's painting features a snowy front of the church -- an apt premonition, given last week's wintry weather -- as well as several churchgoers entering the building.
To paint the picture she had in mind, Trate did not just settle for using her imagination. She camped out in front of the church and took pictures of the entrance to reference when creating the painting, then later painted snow in. But a picture of just the church's building would not have been complete in her eyes.
"A church is the people. A church is not the building. A church is the members," Trate said.
So, she made sure to include the likeness of fellow church goers in the piece, to create a sense of inclusion.
"I took 50 different photos, and went through them to pick out people. I placed certain people in the painting," Trate said. "I wanted to convey the idea that everyone is welcome in our church."
Trate loves just about everything about the Community Baptist Church. According to the church's website, the congregation began in 1950. Because of growth in its outreach work, Trate said the church moved from its original location across from the Montoursville Walmart. The new location caters to the church's outreach efforts as well as a growth in membership.
Trate said those outreach programs make the Community Baptist Church special to her.
"We send out a lot of missionaries throughout the world to help people understand the word of Christ, the Bible, and help them develop as Christians," Trate said. "It has helped me as an individual. I think it helps the community, so that's why I like it."
Trate, 66, is a registered nurse at HCR Manor Care, North Building. However, she also volunteers with the Bald Eagle Art League -- an organization that helps "foster excellence, diversity and vitality in the visual arts of North Central Pennsylvania through a combination of art education, community outreach and service sponsorship," according to the organization's website.
Like the Community Baptist Church, the Bald Eagle Art League also performs its fair share of outreach, according to Trate.
She said she loves how it reaches out to aspiring and existing artists and provides a community of artists who can then learn from one another and promote each others' businesses.
"I just love art. I think God has given many people different talents, this is just one form of appreciating everything he has created," Trate said.
There are plenty of talented people in the Williamsport area that help enrich the community, according to Trate.
"Even if you don't make it a business, it is part of your personality," she said.
Trate looks forward to participating in the contest next year, and is already beginning to work on a painting.
"I was so thrilled to win because most of the time we have a dozen or so good artists. But this year it worked in my favor," Trate said.
The Sun-Gazette thanks everyone who participated in this year's contest, and looks forward to reviewing next year's submissions.