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COVID & the Arts: Art Comforts the Bereaved

Trimble Pointe
three hearts by Marcus Glenn, at Trimble Pointe in Moline

Trimble Pointe in the Quad Cities is using art to provide comfort during grief, and to help celebrate life.

As a sign of support for the community, especially healthcare workers and first responders, the Trimble family commissioned Detroit artist Marcus Glenn to create three hearts which are now on permanent display in the entrance atrium at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, in Moline. The three unique mixed-media paintings are entitled  “Look for Love Among the Chaos,” “See Love Among the Chaos,” and “Find Love Among the Chaos.” 

The Trimbles realized how fitting the heart theme is after seeing their grandchildren and friends placing hearts in windows throughout the Quad-Cities. Eric Trimble is CEO of Trimble Pointe Companies – which include Trimble Funeral Homes and Crematory, Cremation Society of the Quad Cities, Veterans Funeral Care, CityView Celebrations, and WaterMark Corners and Stationers.

“We were blessed with the opportunity to build Trimble Pointe, a legacy building where the community can gather to celebrate all of life’s events.  Whether people come for a funeral, a wedding, a baby shower, or a class reunion, these hearts will serve as a reminder of the love, strength, and resilience shown by our neighbors during this challenging time.”

“We view this building as a community building, a legacy building, like a museum or as a city hall, a gathering place. We think it’s important to beautify it, with the art. The fact that we like collecting art, we have the perfect place to display it.”

Credit Trimble Pointe
(l to r) Eric Trimble, Yolanda Glenn, Barbara Trimble, Marcus Glenn

According to Park West Gallery in Southfield, Michigan, “Marcus Glenn is one of the most exciting young artists to emerge in recent years. He has commissioned works of art hanging in exclusive private and public collections throughout the world. He is one of the most widely collected contemporary artists, and his collectors eagerly await each new creation. Marcus has sold artwork in 67 different countries to many thousands of art enthusiasts."

Eric Trimble and his wife Barbara met Glenn on a Caribbean cruise that returned to Miami on March 1st, just before the Covid-19 outbreak really spread across the U.S., shutting down much of the Trimble businesses.

“We met him, he showed some pieces, and we commissioned him to do these three pieces, not realizing that a) the virus would be hitting and b) all the unrest that we’re facing, too.”

The heart artworks add to many other works at Trimble Pointe, where the family shares its collection with the public. On display are works by local artists - photography by Hunt Harris, Steve Sinner's wood turning, stone engraving by Paul Herrera, and Father Edward Catich's watercolors and calligraphy, as well as noted American and international contemporary artists.

Because of Covid, Trimble Funeral Home has held only virtual funerals, or graveside services with immediate families. 

“When we built the building, we put in fairly sophisticated camera equipment, just for doing that, webcasting, and offered it quite a bit and really nobody was too interested. We really haven’t done much of it until now.”

For more information on the Trimble companies, visit trimblefuneralhomes.com/.
 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.