Virginia Tech’s Reynolds Homestead and Bull Mountain Arts announced the winners of the annual Rock Spring Art Show on Sept. 17. The art show is open to participants in Patrick County and the surrounding counties in both Virginia and North Carolina, as well as any member of Bull Mountain Arts, regardless of residence.
With about 75 people in attendance for the presentations, awards were announced in seven categories and Best in Show.
Donald Towns won Best in Show for his oil painting, “Tarnished.” The award was sponsored by Calliope, Circus of the Arts. Other awards were financially supported by First Community Bank as well as several anonymous donors.
In oil painting, third place went to Cheryl Sterling for “The Visitor,” second to Sandra Brady for “Pink Dogwood in Moonlight,” and first to Donald Towns for “Tarnished.”
In the acrylic painting category, third place was awarded to Hannah Anderson for “Inner Child,” second to Debbie Culler for “Make a Joyful Noise,” and first to Sarah Booze for “Canoes in the Woods.”
Third place in watercolor painting went to Greg Arens for “Canaan Maple,” second to Julie Gammons for “Pilot Mountain,” and first to Carla Kriestch for “Bluebird Life Cycle.”
In drawing, Linda Park received third place for “Ageless Beauty,” Lisa Garrett was awarded second for “Wish I Could Come Out and Play,” and Jon Handy received first for “A Nod to Escher.”
The 2D mixed media/3D category featured a wide variety of works, and third place went to Jan Atkins for “Worth her Weight in Gold,” second to Rebecca Adcock for “Day of the Dead Alter for Jack,” and first to David Lunt for “Copper Matte Temple Jar.”
Two new categories, textiles and glass, were added this year at the request of local artists. In textiles, Leslie Marsh was awarded third place for “LOVE,” Sandra Brady second for “Singing Steamer,” and Charlotte Gardner first for “Labyrinth Walk.” In the glass category, Kelly Stanley earned third place for “Pearl,” Steve Eanes received second for “Relaxing at Desert Sunset,” and Amanda Honore Donley first for “Medicine Wheel/Non Coopted.”
The work was judged by two regional artists and art enthusiasts.
Anna Buchanan serves as the curator of contemporary fine art and craft at the William King Museum of Art (WKMA) in Abingdon, Virginia. She has served WKMA for five years and has been working in museums for 12 years taking on various roles such as exhibition preparator, docent, gallery assistant, and assistant curator. Buchanan loves engaging in her regional, artistic community and can be seen frequenting regional galleries and talking to local artisans.
Amanda Slaughter is the tourism relations manager at the Virginia Welcome Center at Rocky Gap. Slaugher is a strong proponent of the creative culture of our region, serving on boards that support and promote the arts including the Round the Mountain artists network and the Forge Appalachia collective.
In addition, the Rock Spring Art Show features three community awards.
The staff of the Reynolds Homestead chose Karen Sigmon’s “For David” as the Reynolds Homestead Award winner. Bull Mountain Arts members honored “The Dance” by Betsy Layman. Patrick County Chamber of Commerce highlighted “Charcoal” by Celeste Springthorpe Tsaklis as its award choice.
“The dedication of our staff, volunteers, and partner organizations is admirable. They put a lot of energy into coordinating and hosting this important Reynolds Homestead legacy event, and I encourage the public to attend the exhibit,” said Reynolds Homestead Director Julie Walters Steele.
The Rock Spring Art exhibit will be open during regular business hours and on Sundays from 10 a.m. -4 p.m. through Oct. 29. The public is invited to explore the exhibit, and Reynolds Homestead staff have prepared a scavenger hunt to deepen engagement with the gallery.
In addition, voting is open for the 2024 Rock Spring Art Show People’s Choice award. Information about the exhibit, including the judges’ comments for the winning pieces, can be found at reynoldshomestead.vt.edu.
