Fourteen of Phelps’ abstract watercolors and inks will be on display in City Hall's Piemonte Room from Aug. 14 through Sept. 5. More than 50 pieces will be auctioned off to benefit Hearth on Sept. 21 and 21 at the Anna Bissonette House in the South End.
Peter Phelps has been an artist for half of his 81 years. After what he’s been through of late, it’s no wonder his work is as prolific as ever.
“I just took off and did close to 75 paintings in eight months,” Phelps said Thursday from the makeshift studio inside his Roxbury apartment, reliving a return to his craft after surviving a tumultuous stretch.
Phelps was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago, and when doctors in Springfield “gave up” on him, he decided to leave it all behind — his house, his car, his art supplies — and head to Boston for a last-ditch effort at an extended life. A studio, an apartment and a second chance at life were only a dream.
“I came to Boston to die,” he said. “I had everything lined up. Where I would be buried, all that stuff. To the great shock of everyone, I lived.”
Radiation treatments spurred a remarkable turnaround, but Phelps’ treatment plan did not include housing. Finding space to paint inside a packed homeless shelter was a struggle.
That’s where Hearth, a non-profit that helps house elders, stepped in. Through outreach efforts it was able to connect with Phelps and find him a home, one with plenty of space for his marathon painting sessions.
And now, two years after his girlfriend [”Everybody needs one of those,” he said] drove an ailing Phelps to Boston with nothing more than the clothes on his back, he will have his artwork displayed in City Hall for three weeks beginning next Thursday. A total of 14 pieces will be shown, with 55 of them being auctioned off next month.
At Phelps’ urging, all of the proceeds will benefit Hearth.
“Giving back is very important,” he said. “These people helped me, and I owe them back.”