Behind the Art: Latrobe Art Center proudly displays founder's painting

Latrobe Art Center co-founder Elaine “Laney” Rogers Crozier was not just a patron of the arts, she was an artist herself.

An untitled and undated watercolor by Rogers, thought to be an image of an area farm, hangs near the entrance of the center.

The work depicts a barn, painted in muted grays with a red silo. A tree without leaves in front of the barn suggests it was done in a cold time of year.

“I think it’s safe to say that it was painted in Westmoreland County,” said Joe Bellack, the center’s assistant director.

Crozier, who was born and lived in Latrobe for most of her life, founded the center in 2002 with another local resident, Elizabeth Hazlett.

The sister of Fred Rogers, of “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” fame, she died in 2019 at age 80.

“While her brother became widely known for his show and its essential message for children and their families, Nancy did work of her own to benefit the local community and make the world a better place,” wrote LAC Executive Director Michael Tusay in a tribute to Rogers and Hazlett.

“She had a passion for the arts,” Tusay said.

In addition to founding and supporting the art center, Crozier served as president of the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, which supports other local educational and charitable organizations. She also served on the boards of Adams Memorial Library, Valley School of Ligonier, Latrobe Hospital Charitable Foundation and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and was a member and elder of Latrobe Presbyterian Church.

As a painter, Crozier was mostly self-taught, though she did take some classes at Latrobe and other local art centers, Tusay said. Her subjects tended to be scenes, objects and people from her daily life.

“Her primary focus was still lifes and landscapes,” he said.

In addition to scenes of Western Pennsylvania, Crozier also painted the beaches and lighthouses of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, a frequent family vacation spot also enjoyed by her brother.

Crozier’s painting is one of only two pieces that the center considers to be permanent works, Tusay said. The other, paired with it near the main entrance, is a watercolor by Hazlett.

“It’s positioned purposefully,” he said. “We never want to forget our roots or her impact or place in the community.”

Editor’s note: Behind the Art is a recurring series highlighting artistic works throughout the county.