When an Entire Community Picked Up the Brush

Long before Pinehurst became the subject of my paintings, it was the setting of my story.

I was born there, began studying art at Sandhills Community College, worked my way through school as a bag boy and waited tables at the opulent Carolina Hotel, never imagining that art would eventually bring me back to celebrate many of the places that shaped my life.

This past weekend that journey came full circle.

More than 125 guests gathered at the beautiful Country Club of North Carolina for a festive evening supporting the Given Tufts Foundation. Surrounded by lively conversation, a silent auction and a lovely dinner, I had the privilege of painting live, but I wasn’t the only artist in the room.

Throughout the evening, guests were invited to add their own personal brushstrokes to a collaborative painting titled Welcome to Pinehurst. Some approached the canvas confidently. Others needed a little encouragement. Before long, even our auctioneer, Matt had even picked up a brush!

The finished painting became more than a colorful interpretation of Pinehurst. It became a portrait of community—and a reminder of three important truths.

Every contribution matters
No single brushstroke completed Welcome to Pinehurst. Some marks were bold, while others were small and subtle, but each became part of the finished work. Communities are built the same way. We may not always recognize the importance of our individual contribution, but something extraordinary happens when each of us offers what we can.

Enthusiasm is contagious
When the collaborative painting opened the live auction, the spirited bidding immediately energized the room. Many guests wanted to take home a work they had helped create. That enthusiasm continued when The Heart of Pinehurst was unveiled. Collectors familiar with my artistic journey raised their hands again and again until a five-figure bid secured the painting of the historic Village.

Their response reminded me that people are drawn to more than an image. They are drawn to the memories, relationships and stories held within it.

Generosity can complete the picture
The evening’s final painting was The Given Memorial Library. Once again, hands rose throughout the room as bidders competed for the work. Eventually, one couple’s bid prevailed—but then came the evening’s most touching surprise.

They announced that they were giving the painting back to the Foundation as a gift for the new library.

In that moment, the purpose of the evening came beautifully into focus. A painting inspired by a treasured community landmark had been purchased to support its future—and then returned so generations of visitors could enjoy it.

Art has a remarkable way of preserving what matters. It can capture a familiar place, awaken a cherished memory and bring people together around a shared purpose.

But the event reminded me that the greatest masterpiece is rarely created by one person. It emerges when many hands, generous hearts and individual acts of kindness come together.

We may not all consider ourselves artists, but each of us holds a brush. The question is: What will our next stroke contribute to the picture?