Resident-led project celebrates local landmarks, supports the Resident Benevolence Fund, and will be featured at a Fall art show.

Residents of Covenant Village Life Plan Community have created a Gaston County, North Carolina Landmarks Puzzle, a 550-piece puzzle celebrating 67 selected landmarks, attractions, and stories that help define Gaston County.

The project began after a Covenant Village resident discovered an original art puzzle at the 2024 Christmas Show in Charlotte. Months later, while assembling the puzzle with family, she noticed that its artwork had been created by residents of another Life Plan Community. The discovery sparked the idea for Covenant Village residents to create a puzzle honoring Gaston County while raising funds for a meaningful purpose.

“I thought, if other residents could pull together a project this complex, why couldn’t we? I love Gaston County, and so many interesting aspects of where we live deserve to be celebrated. Plus, the Resident Benevolence Fund is what sets a Life Plan Community like Covenant Village apart, and this could be a way to support it and our resident community,” said Carol Brittain, a Covenant Village resident and former public-school educator who spearheaded the project.

The concept moved forward in September 2025 after a conversation with Ali Pizza, Director of the Gaston County Art and History Museum, confirmed that no similar countywide puzzle project was underway. In October, Brittain presented to Covenant Village administration, the Resident Activities Committee, and the Resident Council, all of whom responded with interest and support.

By mid-October, a volunteer resident committee was formed, and they began developing a production calendar with guidance from the Heritage Puzzle Company. The committee met regularly to guide the project from concept to finished artwork, launch, and sales.

The plan was in place!

As part of the planning process, all Covenant Village residents were invited to suggest Gaston County landmarks they felt should be considered for inclusion in the puzzle. Residents responded with 112 unique ideas, reflecting places that held personal meaning, local significance, and shared community value. Although the committee hoped to include as many locations as possible, members made thoughtful decisions about which landmarks would best represent Gaston County’s history, culture, natural beauty, and community life.

Committee members also researched and wrote descriptions for each selected landmark for inclusion in a Puzzle Key booklet. The booklet was designed to help puzzle owners identify the locations featured in the artwork and learn more about the history, significance, and stories behind the places represented in the puzzle.

To bring the project to life visually, the committee commissioned artist Heidi Nisbett of Sketching Summits, a member of the Gaston County Art Guild known for her watercolor work and large-scale murals. Nisbett’s murals and artwork appear throughout North Carolina and Virginia, including local works at Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont and Confluence in Cramerton. After interviewing Nisbett and reviewing her portfolio and credentials, the committee selected her to create the puzzle artwork.

“We were inspired by Heidi’s whimsical artistic style and her use of vibrant color, which we felt would translate well into a puzzle, offering both interest and challenge … and education,” said Brittain.

Nisbett attended several committee meetings as the project developed, sharing concepts and sketches along the way. She visited all 67 selected landmarks and sketched each one for the final composition. She presented the completed artwork to the committee in early May.

We had the creation!

Michelle Melton, a graphic artist and senior living consultant with WellPointe Advisors, designed the puzzle box and the enclosed puzzle key booklet. The committee completed final edits and selected the color scheme for the finished product.

On August 19, 2026, the committee hosted a special “Reveal of the Puzzle Artwork” for Covenant Village residents and staff, giving the community its first look at the completed artwork and opening pre-sale orders for the puzzle.

The finished puzzle includes 550 pieces and measures 18 by 24 inches when completed. Puzzles will be available for $30 each, with proceeds supporting the Covenant Village Resident Benevolence Fund. The Resident Benevolence Fund helps ensure that any Covenant Village resident who gracefully outlives their financial resources will never have to leave the community. Puzzles will also be available for purchase at the Gaston County Art and History Museum for $32.50, with $2.50 supporting the work of the museum.

“The puzzle project reflects Covenant Village residents’ creativity, collaboration, and commitment to caring for one another,” said Dale Melton, CEO of Covenant Village. “It is an example of what can happen when residents come together around a shared idea. From proposal, planning, and involving our resident community, to selecting landmarks, researching their stories, and launching the final product, the committee worked hard to create something that is both meaningful and lasting.”

The Gaston County Landmark Art Show, November 3 through December 31

Covenant Village will host the Gaston County Landmark Art Show, beginning November 3 at Covenant Village. The event will feature the original puzzle artwork created for the Gaston County North Carolina Landmarks Puzzle, along with landmark-inspired artwork by members of the Gaston County Artist Guild. Puzzles and Guild member artwork will be available for purchase during the show.

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About Covenant Village

Covenant Village is a not-for-profit Life Plan Community serving the Charlotte and Gastonia regions in NC. Established in 1982, the community encompasses 61 wooded acres and serves 315 residents with independent, assisted, skilled, and memory care residential options, modern amenities, and expert support and care from 200 employees. Covenant Village provides a wellbeing-first environment that engages the mind, body, heart, and soul, guided by a vision of helping all who live and work there to live longer, better.

About the Artist

The Puzzle Committee commissioned artist Heidi Nisbett of Sketching Summits, a member of the Gaston County Art Guild, to create the artwork for the puzzle. In addition to being a watercolor professional, Heidi is a sought-after large-scale muralist whose work is featured at local Gaston landmarks and extends from the North Carolina mountains to the coast and Virginia. Heidi grew up in upstate South Carolina and earned a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Winthrop University, moving to North Carolina soon after. As an adult, she fell in love with the outdoors and hiking, and in 2018 she hiked all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail, keeping a watercolor sketchbook along the way. After her hike, she started creating watercolor paintings inspired by her outdoor adventures, which launched her art career. She enjoys using her paintings to explore a sense of place, focusing on details like specific native flora, iconic ridgelines, or historic remnants to tell the viewer a story and memorialize specific locations. Her work can be viewed at www.SketchingSummits.com.