The Shelby Township Senior Center artist of the month for May and June is Cathy McCarthy.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Shelby-Utica News | Published May 18, 2026
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Cathy McCarthy is the Shelby Township Senior Center’s featured artist for the months of May and June.
Her work is showcased at the Shelby Township Activities Center, which serves as the senior center, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
McCarthy, a retired nurse, said she has enjoyed painting, carving wood and sketching her whole life. She joined the Shelby Township Fine Art Society three years ago and has served on its board for the past two years.
“I am self-taught, and now that I’ve retired, I am able to dedicate a lot of time to my passion,” she said.
McCarthy’s work was displayed at the Scarab Club in Detroit in 2017 and was showcased at the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens in 2018. More recently, she has participated in juried art shows such as the St. Clair Art Fair, the New Baltimore Art Fair and the Shelby Township Art Fair.
“Each time I am selected to display my work, it is a huge honor. I look forward to participating in more fairs and shows,” she said.
In addition to showing and selling her art in fairs and clubs, McCarthy has been commissioned to make original pieces for clients.
“My favorite media is oil on canvas or wood, but I have also made wooden toy chests with themes painted on them. Lately, I have been working with watercolors and I feel pretty comfortable with them,” she said.
McCarthy is also working on a children’s book, doing both the narration and illustrations.
Barbara Halster, secretary of the Shelby Township Fine Art Society, said she has served on the board with McCarthy for two years and “highly regards” McCarthy’s “character and her artistic ability.”
“Cathy paints beautiful compositions of animal life,” she said. “She is precise in applying oil paint to canvas to capture specific patterns on a Siberian tiger face or the varied coloring of an elephant’s trunk.”
Halster said McCarthy’s paintings are favorites of many in the community, adding that she often wins awards in both juried and people’s choice competitions.
Patrick Laus, who calls himself a “dedicated fan” of McCarthy, said he has been following her work at local art shows in recent years and is “impressed” with her “progress as an artist.”
Laus says McCarthy has “developed a really distinct style that stands out,” adding that her ability to “interpret light, use color, create texture shines through” in her latest pieces.
McCarthy’s work will be for sale at the Shelby Township Activities Center, 14975 21 Mile Road, through June. For more information, call the center at (586) 739-7540.