The 65^th annual Chadds Ford Elementary School Art Sale and Show to be held March 21 and 22 is dedicated to the late Paul Scarborough.

Scarborough, a popular local artist who died in early February, had a long-standing relationship with the school. Two of his well-known paintings, “Parachute Party” and “Maypole Dance” are traditional events at the school’s annual May Fair and he served as artist in residence for several art-in-action projects. One of those projects is a five-panel mural that hangs in a hallway just off the main entrance.

According to Barbara Moore, director of the Chadds Ford Gallery and Scarborough’s friend and companion for more than 30 years, the relationship with the school began almost 20 years ago when her granddaughter told classmates that Scarborough was her “Grandpa Skip.”

The other students started calling him that also, Moore said. But, even before that, students called him “Mr. Pockets.” She said that was because of an apron he wore while painting at the school.

There will be a page in the program for Scarborough and there will be a space for his work as if he were showing at this year’s event. Either Moore or her daughter, Dawn Jackson, is expected to be on hand selling his paintings during the show, Moore said.

The PTO will also be starting a scholarship in his honor.

Moore was touched when she learned the PTO was honoring Scarborough with the dedication. She said he kept letters from students thanking him for helping them with their art.

“This is a wonderful tribute to Paul’s memory,” she said. “The school meant a lot to him.”

Scarborough commented on the school’s importance to him when he was the featured artist during the 2012 event:

“The school is so important. All my grand kids went to this school and they just love coming back to it…I just feel part of the community. It’s a community school,” he said at the time.

Also on hand this year will be Victoria Wyeth who will give a talk that Saturday about her grandfather, Andrew Wyeth. Included in her talk will be a PowerPoint presentation showing Andrew’s work from private collections, according to Lynda Nadin, one of the co-chairmen for the show this year. Victoria Wyeth will also be doing book signing.

As with Scarborough, the Wyeth family has been a significant influence on the school. Betsy Wyeth was the driving force behind the May Fair and the art show since the show evolved from the fair when paintings were displayed and judged during the event.

The 2014 Art Sale and Show features 67 artists, the maximum that the gymnasium can accommodate, and there’s a waiting list for artists who want to in.

This year’s featured artist is J. Wayne Bystrom who initially got involved with the Chadds Ford show about 10 years ago. He can’t recall the details, but thinks he heard about it from another artist friend who recommended the show to him.

This is his second time being the featured artist. His painting “Along the Brandywine” is the image used for this year’s invitation.

Shawn Faust — who currently has work on display at the Chadds Ford Gallery — is this year’s donating artist.

He, too, heard about the school’s show years ago from other artists. It was artist Richard Bollinger who urged him to get involved, Faust said. This will be his fifth year at CFES.

The Art Sale and Show is a major fund-raiser for the elementary school’s PTO. Nadin said last year’s show grossed $80,000 with a $20,000 net to the PTO. The PTO hopes to do at least as well this year. The money is used for art education.

Main photo: Artists Shawn Faust and J. Wayne Bystrom with Art Sale and Show co-chairwomen Francis Galvin and Lynda Nadin.