Late Philipsburg artist’s family donates work to ReStore

The works of late Philipsburg artist Jean P. Kizina are a master class in the styles of abstract expressionism and realism — they are also now conveniently located down the aisle from a wide selection of window panes and ceramic tiles.

Kizina’s paintings, many of which are more than 6 feet in length, occupy an entire room in Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County’s ReStore in Bellefonte, which helps used goods find a new home.

The profits from the store also help to fund the organization’s mission to create affordable homeownership opportunities in Centre County.

Fine art doesn’t typically play a huge role in that endeavor. In fact, ReStore most closely resembles a community hardware store. There are toilets, doors, refrigerators, stoves — even a lone rocking horse, all ripe for the picking.

A member of Kizina’s family donated the paintings after her death in 2015.

“We just wait for unique donations,” ReStore Manager Stephanie Clevenger said.

The room that Kizina’s paintings occupy is a revolving door of eccentricities. Last summer it was filled with gardening supplies, which were replaced with Halloween novelties, which in turn eventually gave way to Christmas decorations.

Now it resembles a miniature art gallery — and wall space is hard to come by.

Clevenger said that ReStore has already sold seven of the artist’s paintings.

“People have been really intrigued by them,” Clevenger said.

Kizina’s work has been shown in The Butler Institute of American Art and the Westmoreland Museum and been recognized with honors such as the Southern Alleghenies Museum Triennial VI Award for Painting and the 1994 Purchase Award from Friends of the Pittsburgh Schools.

In the past, her work has sold for as much as $1,500 but the paintings available at ReStore are selling for much less.

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 11:49 PM with the headline "Late Philipsburg artist’s family donates work to ReStore."