Los Altos Hills artist Terenia Offenbacker has two passions related to art: creating it and nurturing the talent of a new generation.
Offenbacker, 82, started out in Poland, where she earned degrees in art education and art history. She was particularly drawn to the Old Masters and Modigliani – whose influence is shown in her many portraits.
Coming to Santa Cruz for a study program in the 1970s, she ended up making California her home.
She worked as a designer in the computer industry and then enjoyed a successful career in marketing and sales before getting back to her artistic side.
For 25 years following a life-threatening car accident, she found herself unable to create art. Happily, urged on by her family, she took a collage class, which got her back in the game.
“Collage allowed me to express myself artistically while simultaneously rebuilding my confidence using brushes without the worry of producing fine lines,” she said in the artist’s statement on her website.
In contrast to her Modigliani-inspired portraits, Offenbacker’s collage and mixed media work combine varied textures and salvaged materials. She enjoys rooting through her stash of metal, fabric, her own handmade paper and other finds and comes up with ideas: “Oh, this is going to be this, this is going to be a bird,” she said.
Today her art is found in collections throughout the United States. She has won many awards for her abstracts, portraits and landscapes in a variety of juried art competitions.
Offenbacker’s daughter Kasha Ford said her mother’s story extends far beyond her own artwork.
“Over the years, she has welcomed many local young people into her studio, encouraging their creativity and giving them a place to learn, paint, and feel supported,” Ford said. “Many of them are now adults and still return to visit and paint with her whenever they are in town – usually accompanied by one of the lavish lunches she loves to prepare for them.”
Offenbacker described the joy she receives from mentoring young people, generally between the ages of 14 and 21.
“To see young people coming to my studio, and working with them – I learn so much from them. It’s so refreshing. … They’re a shot of fresh energy.”
The students can come and create and share without fear of being judged, Offenbacker said, adding with a laugh, “It’s like that expression, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’” As a former art teacher in Poland, Offenbacker is more than happy to share her gift.
“(Young people) come to my art shows and ask questions – I tell them to come to my studio,” she said. “It’s nice to see some interest. I hope I still have enough energy for awhile to keep doing it.”
The inspiration that Offenbacker provides has influenced more than the students who visit her studio: Her granddaughter Katryna Ford (one of 11 grandchildren), a recent graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, is also an artist and will be joining her grandmother at this year’s Fine Art in the Park.
This August will mark Offenbacker’s 20th appearance at the annual festival put on by the Rotary Club of Los Altos.
She had high praise for the show: “They treat artists very well, they take good care of them,” she said. “There’s something about Rotarians – when you pay that 10% you know it’s going to help somebody.”
And as someone with experience in the worlds of tech and business as well as art, she offered a final thought: “We need art to balance this world.”
For more information on Offenbacker, see tereniaoffenbacker.com. For more information on this year’s Fine Art in the Park, see rotaryartshow.com.
