Retirement can finally offer the freedom to pursue a passion that has been waiting all along. For Margate resident Mark Arbeit, that passion was art.
In 2006, Arbeit and his husband, Mitch Tannehill, established Mark Arbeit & Co. Over the next 20 years, they helped more than 1,800 clients, friends and family members buy and sell properties throughout Atlantic County.
Tannehill’s brother, Sean, joined the company in 2012. He now runs the business with his wife, Andrea. Mark Arbeit & Co. continues to operate under the brokerage of Marketplace Realty in Margate.
As Arbeit stepped back from the business and settled into retirement, his passion for creating and selling art came to the forefront. Today, he paints daily in his home studio. Largely self-taught, he has enrolled in classes and entered shows to sharpen his skills.
Arbeit grew up in a small community on Long Island, New York, and was drawn to art from childhood. He followed several career paths through his 20s, 30s and 40s before entering real estate in his early 50s.
“Real estate is an incredibly demanding career, so there wasn’t much time left for art. But the artist in me never really went away,” Arbeit said. “In 2019, I decided it was time to reconnect with that part of myself.”
He began experimenting more seriously with painting and created a home studio, initially setting aside one day each week for his art. That single day gradually became increasingly important. By 2021, Arbeit was painting every day.
His work is available at markarbeitart.com and through shows and exhibitions across the region. This fall, he will participate in several South Jersey exhibitions, including shows at the Hammonton Arts Center, the Fine Arts League of Ocean City and the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville.
One of his pieces will also compete in the New Jersey State Senior Citizen Art Show, which runs Sept. 28 through Nov. 4 at Meadow Lakes Senior Living.
“Art is not a hobby for me, nor do I really consider it a second career. It’s how I choose to spend my time,” Arbeit said. “It gives me an opportunity to challenge myself, bring the ideas I have in my head to life, create something with my hands and add beauty to my home.”
Arbeit said he paints because he loves the process, not simply to sell his work. If someone connects with one of his creations, he considers that an especially gratifying bonus. His goal is to feel something while painting and encourage viewers to feel something, too. He wants his work to draw people in, make them pause and leave them feeling as though they have stepped into the scene.
“At this stage of my life, being able to pursue my art is a gift,” Arbeit said. “I don’t take a single day of it for granted.”
For Arbeit, retirement was not about stopping. It was about having the time and freedom to begin something new. His story is a reminder that there is no age limit on pursuing a dream. Sometimes, the passion placed on the back burner while building a career and a life is still waiting when the time is right.
Delaney Crawford is a dynamic entrepreneur with a passion for storytelling and digital marketing. Driven by a desire to empower local businesses, Delaney founded DLC Media, a company dedicated to helping businesses enhance their brand image and thrive online.
