From left: Leonard Irish, Maggie Casto, Sharon Pollard, Charles Pollard, Larry Hume, Vickie Martin, David Whitlock, and Venora McSwain.
April 21, 2021 - The Shelby County Historical Society and Museum received a donation of a piece of Shelby County history in the form of art, an original Woodrow Foster oil painting from 1956. The painting was donated by Charles Pollard and his wife Sharon from Livingston on Friday, April 16, 2021.
Charles Pollard made the presentation of the painting, "This is representative of my family that's been in Shelby County since 1918 and its given by the Pollard family in memory of Raymond Hughes, who was my uncle by marriage, and my Aunt Mary (Pollard) Hughes."
To receive the donation were museum representatives Venoria McSwain, Vickie Martin, Leonard Irish, and David Whitlock.
Woodrow Foster was born in 1912 in Stephenville, Texas. He moved to Shelby County in 1946 with his wife, Lorene Hughes Foster who was from Center, and their daughter Sara Beth. He shared his love of art in paintings and sketches. His 'Old Men' sketches were often given away whether in person or put in an envelope when paying a bill. In 1991 he received the honor of being an official Texas State Artist after winning the annual Texas State Artist Competition. He didn't retire from his art career until his mid-nineties. He lived to be 101.
