Trimper's in Ocean City will be showcased by artist bound for National Folk Festival

Artist Joanne Guilfoil can recall sitting under a tall, lush tree, rays of sunlight peeking through the rippling leaves, a sharpened pencil tucked in her small hand.

It's a moment in time that she holds onto when, as a young girl between the ages of 7 and 9, her artistic skills and passion for artistry were just beginning to bloom.

“We were told, in the '50s as kids, to go out and find something to do,” said Guilfoil, originally from Westchester County, New York. “So, we did. We would bring pencils and paper and go sit under a tree.”

A young Guilfoil was content with painting anything she could get her hands on.

One of the most memorable pieces from her childhood was a George Washington paint by numbers, wherein the first president sat astride a tall stallion, lifting his signature tricorn hat above his head.

Together, she and her father would sit side by side and work on the painting, a wet paint brush passed from hand to hand. It is a memory that has stuck with Guilfoil over time, and her passion for painting only continued to flourish from that moment on.

Finding artistic inspiration on the Eastern Shore

Today, Guilfoil’s artwork is heavily influenced by life along the Delmarva Peninsula.

After moving to Potomac, Maryland, for high school, she fell in love with the Eastern Shore. Trained first as a painter and then as a teacher of art, she is mostly self-taught. Nowadays, she lives in Selbyville, for she does not wish to stray too far from one of her key muses, the vast Atlantic Ocean.

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In March of 2022, the Eastern Shore artist had undertaken one of her favorite projects to date — the repainting of a historic object at one of Ocean City’s landmark destinations, Trimper’s Rides and Amusement Park, founded in 1893.

The antique, an angelic ticket booth, is one of the amusement park’s most famed attractions. Many who visit the park cannot help but stop dead in their tracks to admire its extravagant ornamentation.

Before Guilfoil could pick up her paintbrush, she had to clean the antique. On top of being damaged and weathered, it had become quite dusty, dirty and greasy over time. She climbed atop the scaffolding and got to work.

“I’d go home and my cuticles and nails would be all black,” said Guilfoil, 72. “It was filthy.”

It took the artist about one week to clean. Then, it was time to paint.

“The hardest part was how cold it was,” Guilfoil said. “I was wrapped in this and that, trying to stay warm. Every now and then, I’d come down the scaffolding, run up to the bathroom and run my hands under hot water.”

How she restored the ticket booth at Trimper's

Guilfoil, an active member of the Art League of Ocean City, used jewel-toned acrylic colors, such as emerald, ruby, and gold, throughout the restoration process. Doing so allowed her to stay true to the ticket booth’s Art Nouveau style which, according to Britannica, is an ornamental style of art that flourished between about 1890 and 1910.

Guilfoil enjoyed sitting unattended in Trimper’s, and was happy to donate her time as community service under the aegis of of the Art League.

The familiar sounds one often hears around the amusement park — bumper cars rattling, cheerful carousel music playing, children squealing and sneakers squeaking — were absent, for the amusement park was still closed for the season.

Guilfoil would turn on a radio to fill the silence, classical music spilling from its speakers, echoing throughout the vacant park — music which relaxed the artist, and made time fly.

The project took her about three weeks to complete. Upon completion, Guilfoil scrawled her named on one side of the ticket booth, in remembrance of her work. When she sees her name, a smile is never too far behind.

Bound for the National Folk Festival

Trimper’s is happy to have recruited Guilfoil for the ticket booth's restoration process. Now, to the artist’s delight, the amusement park is putting her back to work.

This month, from Aug. 26-28, Guilfoil can be found at the National Folk Festival in downtown Salisbury.

There, her artistry will be put on full display as she repaints one of Trimper’s antique carousel horses — a stark white stallion with a black saddle and red and gold cloth draped over its side. In preparation, Guilfoil has photographed the carousel horse and put together a sheet detailing the exact paint colors she will need for the festival’s on-site restoration.

She is thrilled to be working alongside of Trimper’s once again.

“The community at large is always really interested in our history because, at this point, we’re 129 years old,” said Trimper’s Director of Marketing Jessica Bauer. “I hope, first and foremost, the community learns that it’s imperative to us to keep the nostalgia of the park alive and well.”

Fun and history at Trimper's Amusement Park

As much as Trimper’s is a vibrant amusement park, it is also a museum.

“Our carousel is 110 years old this year. How many amusement parks can give those kinds of numbers? You’re not going to find anything like (Trimper’s) anywhere else. We genuinely love and care for the items here,” Bauer said.

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In addition to being placed in front of a curious crowd of onlookers, Guilfoil will be seated with a special member of the Trimper family. Tracey Hausel, a great-great granddaughter of founders Daniel and Margaret Trimper, will be sharing Trimper family history with festival attendees as they watch Guilfoil at work.

Although Guilfoil enjoys every bit of the restoration process, her favorite part is most certainly the end, when she sets down her paintbrush and her eyes are met with a squeaky clean, richly colored, fully restored antique.

"Phew!" She wipes at her brow, demonstrating how she feels when a project is complete. "It's satisfying."

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Artist teams up with Ocean City's Trimper's for National Folk Festival