A beautiful painting of Christel DeHaan, Christel House's Founder, was unveiled during a ceremony attended by students, parents, and staff at Christel House Indianapolis. For Dr. Peg Watanabe, commissioning the artwork of her long-time friend was fitting. “I just wanted to do something for Christel,” said Dr. Watanabe, (standing right) with the artist, Rita Spalding.The original artwork will be permanently displayed at the Christel House Indianapolis Manual campus. Dr. Watanabe also commissioned Giclée reproductions of the portrait for each school location. “I am so delighted to present this portrait of Christel to the Christel House schools,” she said. Rita Spalding says capturing Christel on canvas was an honor. “I’ve had such respect for her over the years and always deeply admired her,” says the artist. “We had many lively conversations about our shared love of gardening.” Following the unveiling, Uwe Klemm, Christel’s nephew, addressed the audience on behalf of the Klemm/DeHaan family. “Our aunt Christel was the type of person that loved life and sometimes seemed bigger than life,” he shared. “Thank you, Peg, for commissioning this portrait, and keeping her wonderful legacy alive.”
