Culhane creates country-themed ornament to benefit Hospice

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Shown is a collection of some of the many ornaments Carol Culhane has painted and donated to Hospice of Orleans County. This year’s ornament is second from left, and depicts a farmhouse, keeping with Orleans County being a farming community.

ALBION – It is a longtime tradition for Hospice of Orleans to take time during the holiday season to honor and celebrate loved ones who are no longer living.

The community is invited to support Hospice and participate in their Light a Life celebration by purchasing an ornament, designed, painted and donated by local artist Carol Culhane.

Local artist Carol Culhane, left, presents Hospice director Marilyn Almeter-Milbrand one of the ornaments she painted and donated for Hospice’s annual Light a Life fundraiser and celebration, scheduled this year on Dec. 8.

The Light a Life Celebration is scheduled at 5 p.m. Dec. 8 in Hospice’s conference center.

Ornaments can be ordered by calling Hospice at (585) 589-0809 or logging on to hospiceoforleans.org/event-links/light-life. Residents can also stop at Hospice administration building at 14080 Route 31 West between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost is $50 for an ornament or $100 if personalized. All proceeds fund Hospice’s patient care services, said Julia Alt, director of Advancement.

Culhane is a self-taught artist who grew up in Rochester. She said she could always draw and when she was in kindergarten, she came home from school one day with her school picture. She got a sheet of paper and laid down on the floor and painted her face. She won blue ribbons for her artwork in school, one for a dancing elephant in a tutu.

Her first professional job was painting campaign signs for Charles Nesbitt when he first ran for town of Barre supervisor. During her career she has painted boats, cars, ties, shirts and veterans’ memorials in Rochester, as well as the murals at Golisano’s Children’s Hospital in Rochester. She was drawn to Hospice through her job as a nurses’ aide, working with Joan Kent.

“I became familiar with death and dying,” Culhane said. “When Kent and Mary Jane Sahukar later founded Hospice, I knew both of them.”

After marrying Jerry Culhane, they owned a Christmas tree farm on Route 31A and she started painted Christmas ornaments. Since then, she estimates she has painted thousands, most of which she has donated – to wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital, Gold Star mothers and Hospice.

“Supporting them is a gift to me,” Culhane said.

When Hospice opened the Martin-Linsin Residence, Culhane donated her time and painted murals on the walls, depicting the four seasons.

Among the dozens of ornaments painted by local artist Carol Culhane is one of the Orleans County Courthouse, which she painted for the Governor’s Office.

“I wanted to do what I could to help Hospice, who dealt with people at the end of life,” she said.

Evana Daniels worked at Hospice at the time, and Culhane talked with her about what she could do. Culhane’s husband Jerry about that time had a friend who wanted an ornament with beer on it. That was in 1991 and it was the catalyst that spurred a decades-long relationship of supporting Hospice by painting and donating the ornaments for their fundraiser.

Her designs for Hospice have included doves, butterflies, cardinals and feathers – all designs that would be comforting to someone who had lost a loved one.

Alt said she got a call from a man in North Carolina who used to live in Orleans County and has collected nearly all of Hospice’s ornaments.

“He said he looks forward to Carol’s ornaments every year,” Alt said.