United Zion Retirement Community's Trinity Art Gallery is showcasing the work of oil painter Stephen Leed in December. This show aims to focus on Leed's most recent and best works, as well as the beauty of nature, which inspires his art.

Leed is a Lititz native and Warwick High School graduate. He is a self-taught artist who discovered his love of art at a young age. His focus is on work that is lifelike, and he said that he is driven by perfection and he fusses continually over each piece and its quality. Leeds focuses on wildlife art but has also created commercial art and fantasy art.

"Arctic Spirit" is a key piece in his exhibit at United Zion. It depicts a snowy owl, which Leed said he believes is one of the most beautiful owls in the world. They are difficult to find in the wild in Pennsylvania. Another piece, "Memorial Day Poppies," features silkie bantams. This piece was featured on the 2019 cover of Stromberg's Chicks and Game Birds catalog.

Leed was the 1994 and 1996 Pennsylvania Game Commission's Working Together for Wildlife Conservation print winner, as well as a finalist for the Artist Magazine's 2000 annual Art Competition in the animal art category. He also won first place in the Lancaster County Woodcarvers & Wildlife Art Show for 2D art. Leed's art has been featured on 13 covers of Pennsylvania's Game News and 11 covers of Bird Watcher's Digest.

The exhibit will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 31. All art gallery visitors will be screened and are required to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth.

United Zion is also offering a sneak peek of its January exhibit of resident and team member artwork, including a few photographs by United Zion resident Greg Schneider.

Additional shows in 2022 will be as follows: artwork by Stacy Zimmerman in February, oils by David Gibson in March, pastels by Dot Stepenaski in April, pastels and oils by Kathryn Reis in May, watercolor and photography by Lillie Fernback in June, spiritual pen and ink works by Jeremy Miller in July, works by Karen Frattali and Deb Watson in August, watercolors by Brenda Blank in September, works by Lynn Hocker in October, acrylic works by Catherine Herbert in November, and oils, watercolors and fiber art by Helena Dueck in December.

For more information on the Trinity Art Gallery, including exhibiting, contact marketing@uzrc.org.