A 99-Year-Old Artist Hosted an Art Exhibit at a Gallery…And So Can You!

If you’ve been putting off that hobby because you think you’re “too old” to start, Nita Draut of Parkville, Missouri is here to prove you wrong.

Nita is 99 years old and is being celebrated with a brand-new solo exhibit at a local art gallery. The art being displayed is amazing. But what’s even more amazing is that Nita didn’t even start drawing until she was 70.

What began as a simple hobby has blossomed into a 30-year passion for graphite sketching that has captured the hearts of her entire community.

Nita’s secret is simple. If she sees a face she likes while she’s out at the store, she just walks up and asks to draw them. And she says in three decades, she’s never been turned down once.

Now — as she prepares for her 100th birthday — her healthcare team helped put together her life’s work into a gallery show to share her “everyday people” with the world. Nita says the most satisfying part isn’t the fame, but knowing her sketches bring people joy. And she hopes her story inspires others to try something new, regardless of their age.