Steve Limon to be honored by Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor

From the moment Dr. Patricia Sullivan joined the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor, she wanted Steve Limon to be the Holiday POPS featured artist for the club’s annual gala fundraising event.

This year, serving as both the club president and the POPS chairperson, Sullivan saw her wish come true when she asked Limon if he would consider taking on the project.

“I hadn’t painted a full-size watercolor in ten years,” Limon said. “But I was intrigued and started searching for a subject.”

Several weeks later, Limon presented his watercolor, a “View of Abbot Hall from Crocker Park,” to Sullivan and asked if it “would do.” The Holiday Pops steering committee was in unanimous agreement: the painting is beautiful and conveys exactly the tone of Marblehead that is needed right now.

Sullivan was confident of Limon’s talent. A classmate in Marblehead High School’s graduating class of ’64, for years she has been a privileged recipient of Limon’s iconic holiday winter scenes – 5x7 watercolor explorations based on photos he has taken. When he first started these in 1980, he gifted the small paintings to his office staff. Now he has a list of 90 annual recipients.

Limon’s talent developed through high school art classes and photography with his father, but he speaks with special fondness and respect about studying under distinguished Marblehead artist Nordia Kay who was, coincidentally, the 2005 featured Holiday Pops artist. An artist member of the Marblehead Arts Association, Limon’s work has been juried, judged and awarded.

The MHS class of ’64’s motto was “They succeed who believe they can.” That could easily be Limon’s personal motto. His list of high school achievements is extensive – an AFS exchange student to the Philippines, editor-in-chief of the 1964 yearbook, a National Merit Scholarship Letter of Commendation, a participant in the high school Model Congress, and member of the baseball team.

After majoring in political science at Middlebury College, Limon postponed his graduate school plans to join the Peace Corps back in the Philippines, teaching teachers how to teach science to elementary school children. Because his application indicated he had a degree in political science, he says with a touch of amusement, “they thought I could teach science.”

After the Peace Corps, Limon earned his law degree at Boston College. Immediately after graduating, Limon went to work at the Massachusetts Defenders Committee under Scott Harshbarger. His major task was to open a model office to defend children, working with staff social workers to prepare dispositional plans to present to judges, specifically designed to

rehabilitate their child clients. He was later asked to start a similar program for prosecutors when he rejoined Harshbarger in the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.

Although Limon officially retired in 2016, he was appointed to serve as a Recall Judge due to a critical need for an extra judge in Essex County, and was working on his last case when Sullivan asked him to be the 2020 Holiday Pops featured artist.

Today, as he has for 20 years, Limon looks to the future of youth justice and advocacy by teaching a course called “Children and the Law” at both New England Law School and Suffolk Law School.

On Thursday, November 12, at 6 p.m., Limon will officially unveil his Holiday Pops painting during an online artist reception hosted by The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor on Facebook. The painting has been framed by Arnould Gallery and will be on display at the Gallery from mid-November until the Holiday Pops concert. The online reception is free and available to the public. The Facebook link will be available on RotaryClubofMheadHarbor.org.

In previous years, the Holiday Pops artist reception event has been held at Abbot Library complete with wine and catered hors d’oeuvres and the Pops concert itself has included champagne and desserts. This year, The Landing Restaurant, Louise Moore of Every Little Breeze Catering, and Shubie’s will be offering special festive Holiday Pops menu take-out selections for both events. Please visit the restaurant websites for details, order-by dates, times, and prices.

The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor is offering three ways to own and enjoy Limon’s 2020 Holiday Pops art. All of these will make wonderful holiday gifts.

Raffle tickets offering a chance to own the original painting will be available for sale at the Arnould Gallery & Framery, 111 Washington St., Marblehead; at Marblehead Museum, 170 Washington St., Marblehead, and online at RotaryClubofMheadHarbor.org. Tickets are $5 each or three for $10.

Artist quality 11x14 giclees are available for purchase for $50 each online at RotaryClubofMheadHarbor.org. Less expensive prints are also available. Please allow at least 10 days to two weeks for local delivery.

Notecards featuring Limon’s painting will be available for purchase at the Arnould Gallery, Marblehead Museum, and online at RotaryClubofMheadHarbor.org at 10 cards for $15.

The Holiday Pops Concert will be presented online on Saturday, December 12, at 7 p.m.

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