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 more than 80 people in attendance for the presentations, awards were announced in eight categories, along with several community awards and Best in Show.
Best in Show was awarded to Ken Johnson, a first-time exhibitor in the show, for his oil painting, “The Rockdale School.” The award was sponsored by Calliope, Circus of the Arts. Other awards were financially supported by Edd Martin & Associates Real Estate, First Community Bank, Patrick County Eye Associates and several anonymous donors.
Oil
*3rd Donald Towns – Just a Trickle
*2nd Donald Towns – Window Lit
*1st Robert Hylton – Spider Plant
Acrylic
*3rd Debbie Culler – Early Morning Stillness
*2nd Sarah Booze – Distant Thunder
*1st Mavel Vinova – Freedom to Be
*Honorable Mention Richard Joyce – Toot Toot
Watercolor
*3rd Julie Gammons – Regatta Pointe
*2nd Ken Bridle – Maples in Autumn Breeze
*1st Paula Melton – Foxtails
Drawing
*3rd Lisa Garrett – The Shepard
*2nd Linda Parks – Musk Thistle
*1st Karen Sigmon – The Fire Within
2D Mixed Media
*3rd Betsy Layman – Connection
*2nd Nicole Rorrer – Humming a New Song
*1st Jan Atkins – Silence Adrift
3D
*3rd Jen Otey The Chase (large bowl)
*2nd John Erickson – Explosion in the Zen Garden of Democracy
*1st Brian Brim – Metallic Cat
*Honorable Mention David Lunt – Orange Separating Glaze
Textiles
*3rd Leslie Marsh – Cape May Reimagined
*2nd Norma Bozenmayer – Is it the Sun or a Sunflower?
*1st Luann Bridle – Reweaving Kinship
*Honorable mention, Kathy Shelton – Japanese Fans
Glass
*3rd Kelly Stanley – Girl in Glass
*2nd Steve Eanes – Dueling Pianos
*1st Kelly Stanley – Fragile Mind
The work was judged by two regional artists and art enthusiasts. Linda Hinson sits on the Visual Arts Committee for the Montgomery County Museum of Art and History. She is a retired public school art teacher with 33 years of experience ranging from Advanced Placement to 7th grade. She also taught as an adjunct for the Radford University Art Department for three years. Hinson has participated in numerous shows and exhibits, winning awards in several over the past few years.
At the reception, Hinson shared judges’ remarks with the audience. “Here in this gallery the language of art has been communicated to you through artists who had an idea and crafted their work to express that idea in a powerful and personal way. This takes courage. Because every artist here has followed through with an idea, they are all successful… Even though every piece in this show has unmistakable merit, it was our task to judge those merits and select those who excelled. It was not easy… In making our selections, we examined how each artist utilized the elements and principles of art to create a composition that was visually balanced and supportive of the central idea or focus of the work. We then investigated the medium. Was it used in an intentional way to convey emotion, to share experience, or to capture a moment in time? And lastly, we looked for authenticity, an honesty that can be seen and felt: the artist speaking in their own unique voice. This truly is an incredible show…”
Savannah Penven is an artist and curator living in Radford, Virginia. She received her master’s degree in Material Culture and Public Humanities from Virginia Tech and her bachelor’s degree in art history and museum studies from Radford University.
Since late March, Penven has served as Exhibitions Program Manager at Virginia Tech’s Center for the Arts after working as the Center’s exhibitions graduate assistant while obtaining her master’s degree. After graduation, she stayed on as a temporary collections manager and archivist for the Virginia Tech Foundation Art Collection until her full-time position began in the exhibitions department.
The Rock Spring Art exhibit will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. through Oct. 31. 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 2025 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.
