Retired teacher restores nativity scene

Jim VanDyke restores an angel that is part of Presbyterian Manor's nativity collection.

Jim VanDyke restores an angel that is part of Presbyterian Manor’s nativity collection.

The angel’s trumpet was broken. Animals were missing their ears. Other figures had broken arms, and everyone needed a fresh coat of paint.

Newton Presbyterian Manor’s nativity figures badly needed a makeover. Thanks to the efforts of two local artists, the newly restored set will go on display this Christmas in its traditional place at Broadway and Sherman streets.

Jim VanDyke, a retired Berean Academy teacher, is completing the nativity restoration that was started by Newton resident Vince Garcia. There are about 15 figures in the set, which is believed to be more than 35 years old.

“There hasn’t been an average piece,” VanDyke said. “One took about 20 hours to restore; the least has been maybe six.”

Newton resident Vince Garcia began the restoration.

Newton resident Vince Garcia began the restoration.

VanDyke was asked to take on the project by his pastor, Jerroll Martens, who also serves as chaplain of Presbyterian Manor. Martens needed someone to take over the work from Garcia, who had volunteered to restore the figures about two years ago.

“They were in extremely bad condition. Any close look would have not been very appealing,” Martens said. “When Vince brought back the first figure, it was like one of those ‘Ah!’ moments. We could not believe what he had done.”

Sadly, Garcia was diagnosed soon afterward with ALS and could not continue. VanDyke agreed to take over, and he was able to talk with Garcia before he passed away earlier this year.

“I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to tackle it,” VanDyke said.

But he was encouraged by the research Garcia had done. VanDyke learned to reinforce weak spots with a fiberglass resin and cloth. For small details such as hands and faces, VanDyke used the kind of paint sold for model airplanes. And he crafted a new trumpet for the angel out of plastic pipe and sheet aluminum.

At times, VanDyke found parallels between his work and the gospel, and he shared some of those thoughts in a talk at Newton Presbyterian Manor this summer.

Before doing any work, he photographed the original figure, because the next step was to scrape off the old, chipped paint, taking all the details with it.

“Sometimes it’s like that when God works in our lives,” he noted. “It looks worse at first, until it gets better.” He also thought of how God looks at humans, compared to how we see one another. “God looks at the heart, but we only look at the outside.”

With more than 115 hours invested, VanDyke said he’s looking forward to sharing his work with the public. “I’ve enjoyed it, and I trust it will be a blessing to people as they see those figures,” he said.

Nativity-Scene-DedicationThe newly restored nativity scene was dedicated on Dec. 8 in a small outdoor service. Jim Vandyke and the late Vince Garcia were the artists who took on the massive multi-year project. The set was purchased in November of 1984 for $3,300 ad has undergone several major restorations.

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