Linette Childs’ career as an artist started early. Her love for painting went public when she was in grade school and sold her first original oil painting at the age of 14. Upon graduating from high school, she was selected from an applicant pool that drew from every state in America to receive the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award in the category of Fine Arts. With this in hand, it made sense that her interest and natural talent as a painter would afford her the opportunity to study art and ultimately, receive a Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture and Design from Maryland Institute’s College of Art, where she was eventually awarded the prestigious Talheim Scholarship.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, it wasn’t long before Childs was exhibiting her paintings in the coffers of Washington DC’s executive offices, in the White House, and even on stage at the Kennedy Center. She credited her original oil painting titled “Old Angler’s Inn” as the catalyst to an invitation to paint and present her work to the Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, in 1995. Today, Childs is the owner of Wills Creek Solution LTD, a company specializing in classic techniques of oil painting, generating graphic design, webpage development, and corporate logos. Over the years, thanks to her prolific production in a variety of mediums, she’s been ablet o exhibit her work abroad and throughout the United States, including right here at home along the south Jersey shore.
Lucky us, Childs has become a staple of the local art community and has given back to the community by supporting families grappling with children’s cancer. AtlantiCare features Linette’s work as part of its permanent collection for the Healing Arts Program. At a smaller scalre, Child’s also exhibited as a “Strobe Signature Artist” at Millville’s Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts.
But Childs’ artistry is also interactive, in a way, as she participates in the: annual Plein-air Painting events held by Absecon Cultural Arts Alliance (ACAA); local juried art exhibits; virtual shows held by the Avalon Performing Arts Council (APAC); Artist’s Guild of the Cape’s Juried Mad Batter Show; Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University Exhibit in Atlantic City; Atlantic Cape Community College’s Plein-Air Competition Show; Cape May’s SOMA New Art Gallery “Solo Show” titled ‘Souls in Still Motion’. In October, Childs displayed and sold for auction, a limited-edition print of her plein-air oil painting, “Golden Meadow at Faunce Landing”, on display for a limited time at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
Over her career, Childs has received countelss awards including two coveted local accodlades, Avalon Performing 2015 Best of Show Award the SJ Marina and Saltwater Café Art Carafes award. In November 2014, Childs returned to her native state of Maryland, with more 60 new original oil paintings and has her first solo gallery show in Glen Echo, titled, “Esoteric Dreams” at the Yellow Barn Gallery.
When she’s not painting, find her working as a Senior Designer for Van Note-Harvey Associates, a civil engineering and land surveying firm headquartered in Princeton, NJ. She works on a variety of civil engineering projects out of their Cape May Court House, branch.
Curious what a woman of so many talents in art could look like? Come check it out! Stay the night with us at Seaview, sample her work in our Art Gallery and visit Noyes Museum of Art in the morning. What better way to spend a brisk fall day than to learn about our landscape on canvas? Call to reserve your room with us today.
