The West Virginia Division of Culture and History has unveiled a new exhibit, Emerging Artists of West Virginia: A Juried Exhibition, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, Charleston. An awards ceremony and slide jam preceded the opening of the exhibition which features a selection of works that can be hung on walls by new and emerging artists from across the state. The free exhibit will remain on display through Oct. 25.
The Division presented Lauren Adams of Fairmont with a Best of Show/Purchase Award of $1,000 and Leona Holley Mackey of Huntington with First Place/Purchase Award of $1,000. In addition, Derek Overfield of Fairmont received Second Place and Erin White of Huntington received Third Place, both non-monetary recognition awards.
All work in the exhibit, including the award winners, was chosen by the juror and working artist Allison Leigh Smith of Scottsdale, Ariz. She has a bachelor of fine arts degree from Columbus College of Art and Design and her work is considered contemporary realism. Her oil paintings focus on animals, worn surfaces and more. Smith has won numerous awards including Best of Show in the President’s Art Show in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008.
The show consists of 24 pieces created by 20 artists. It is the premiere exhibit in the Commissioner’s Gallery which is located in the newly renovated West Virginia State Museum on the lower level of the Culture Center. A complete list of artists and winners is attached.
Many of the works on display are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The West Virginia State Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon - 5 p.m.
For more information about Emerging Artists of West Virginia: A Juried Exhibition, or to purchase a piece of art from the show, contact Betty Gay, exhibits coordinator for the Division, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 128.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
MEDIA NOTE: Photos of award-winning works can be downloaded from the Division’s Web site at http://www.wvculture.org/museum/exhibits.html
EMERGING ARTISTS OF WEST VIRGINIA: A JURIED EXHIBITION EXHIBITORS
Lauren Adams, Fairmont
Prickett’s Creek – February 7th
Best of Show/$1,000 Purchase Award
and
Mon River in January
Mark Cline, Caldwell
Evening in the Woods
David Seth Cyfers, Huntington
Placelessness (Chapmanville, WV)
Seth Davison, Charleston
Trapped inside my own noggin’
John Farley, Huntington
A Meeting of the Minds
Todd Griffith, Charleston
The Window
Cheryl Ryan Harshman, Wheeling
Christos Rey
Chet Louther, Charleston
Canyon Impression
Marietta Lyall, Lewisburg
Remember When?
Leona Holley Mackey, Huntington
Sail Boats Racing
and
New York Glitz
First Place/$1,000 Purchase Award
Melissa May, Barrackville
Flowers
Amanda Jane Miller, Charleston
Martini, Feather & Bomb
Laura Moul, Milton
Beauty Is Where You Find It
Derek Overfield, Fairmont
Painting 34
Second Place
Debra Richardson, Ona
Tea for One
Ben Robertson, Huntington
Malady
Rebecca Robinson, Huntington
A Special Place
and
Leaf Study in Reds
Vasilia Scouras, Charleston
Ascending
Ashley White, Charleston
Untitled
Erin White, Huntington
Multiply
and
Rhythm
Third Place
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