10/06/2026
Friends, please consider giving to the Rowan County Arts Center in honor and memory of our dear friend Trudi Lewis, a long time KFTC member and member of the Rowan County community.
The Rowan County Arts Center is saddened by the loss of our friend and resident artist, Trudi Lewis.
At the request of her husband, Erik, those wishing to honor Trudi’s memory may make a donation to the Rowan County Arts Center in her name. You can donate using this link: https://pci.jotform.com/form/262734243636055
We are grateful to Erik for sharing these words about Trudi and her life:
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The Arts Center will miss the sweet smile and sharp wit of Trudi Lewis, who died September 27, 2026. Trudi was among the earliest members of Linda Brewer's watercolor class over a decade ago and has shared Studio 106 with fellow artists Rosemary Curtis and Karen Glancy. Animals and plants have been among her favorite watercolor subjects.
Born in Passau, (West) Germany, Trudi came with her parents to Akron, Ohio when she was "five and a half," as she would say. Young Trudi loved drawing and painting, and won some scholastic art awards as a child. She grew up to become a social worker, working primarily in mental health, geriatrics, and home care during a career that spanned over 30 years. She held professional licenses in Ohio and Kentucky, and earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in social work from the University of Akron and the University of Kentucky, respectively.
While at the University of Akron, she met Erik Lewis, with whom she would create a marriage partnership that lasted nearly 45 years. After making homes in Lexington, Louisville, and southwest Ohio, Erik's career brought them to Morehead in 1999. Besides her art, Trudi was active in civic and social justice causes. She loved gardening, houseplants and arranging flower boxes, travel, vegetarian cooking, watching NBA basketball, playing Scrabble and cribbage, spending time with friends, and the cats of her household: Molly, Marti, Graylee, and the late Casey (all of whom she painted as watercolor subjects).
