Helga Reimann, an 86-year-old painter from Dransfeld, Germany, is preparing for her final participation in the Open Studios event this September. As one of the founding members of the initiative that began in 2007, Reimann has participated almost every year since its inception. This year marks her farewell as she opens her home from basement to attic, offering approximately 600 of her paintings for donation to support a good cause.
Reimann's journey into painting began 20 years ago when she was 66, marking a return to artistic expression after decades focused on teaching and family life. The former elementary and secondary school teacher grew up in Hannover, where she studied and later worked as an educator before starting a family. Her early interest in creative work was sparked by excellent art instruction at the Ricarda-Huch School under teacher Ernst Wolfhagen, who awakened and fostered her appreciation for art at a young age.
After moving to Dransfeld in 1981 due to her husband's career change, Reimann continued teaching until retirement. She then spent ten years actively involved in volunteer work, focusing on senior sports programs and choir singing. It wasn't until 2005 that she rediscovered artistic creation for herself, purchasing acrylic paints and canvas that would launch her prolific painting career.
Working under the artistic brand "EigenART," Reimann has created approximately 800 paintings of various sizes over the past two decades. Her artistic practice extends beyond pure color painting to include collages and assemblages, reflecting her passion for collecting and experimenting with different materials. Each year, she chose a different theme for her work, presenting these collections at the DKKD (Denkmalkunst – Kunstdenkmal) festival in Hann. Münden and various other exhibitions throughout the region.
The upcoming Open Studios event, scheduled for the first and second weekends of September, will feature 60 artists from the Göttingen district opening their studios to visitors. For Reimann, this represents both a culmination and a transition. She explains that at 86, the organizational effort required for participating in the Open Studios has become too demanding for both her and her husband to manage.
Readers who visit Reimann's studio during the event will find her entire house opened for viewing, with paintings displayed from the basement to the attic where she stores her extensive collection. Visitors can acquire her artwork through donations to support the DKKD 2026 festival in Münden. Of her approximately 800 total works, she plans to keep about 200, including her very first acrylic painting – a piece she says she would never part with as it represents the beginning of her artistic renaissance.
"I want to lighten my load at my age, before everything ends up as estate disposal waste," Reimann explains, hoping for strong community response to help grow the monument art festival's donation fund. Despite stepping back from the Open Studios, she has no intention of abandoning art entirely. "I simply can't stop – something very important would be missing from my life," she says, already planning her participation in next year's DKKD festival with her own exhibition.
The Open Studios initiative, which Reimann helped establish, has become an important cultural event in the Göttingen district, providing artists with opportunities to connect directly with the public and share their creative processes. Reimann's final participation marks the end of an era for both the event and her own artistic journey, though her continued commitment to creating and exhibiting art demonstrates that retirement from one platform doesn't mean retirement from passion.
