Juror Gary Bergel selected 25 works from 15 Artists for the ‘My Home Town’ exhibit, which will be on display at the Berkeley Art Works January 11 through Saturday February 18, 2022.

UPDATE: Exhibit Awards announced.

Below are the selected works:

The Berkeley Arts Council announces the opening of the 10th Annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit, on display at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV until October 8, 2022.

The exhibit highlights the work of artists living in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and includes paintings, drawings, photography, and sculpture. A wide range of media are represented in the exhibit including watercolor and gouache, oil, and acrylic painting, pastel drawing, wood carving, basketry, fiber arts, collage, mixed media, and assemblage.

This year’s juror was Jenna Gianni (MFA), a ceramic artist and educator based in Maryland. She currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in ceramics at Hood College in Frederick, MD. Ms. Gianni selected 33 works by 21 artists from Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan and Mineral counties.

About her selections, she states: “There’s a quote by John Dewey that states, “ [art] is the authentic expression of any and all individuality…individuality in whatever form it appears.” As a juror, editing an array of talented individual expressions is a difficult task! Works in a mix of mediums and communicating a host of subject matters fueled by imagination and a clear commitment to individuality of expression were finally chosen among this year’s submissions.

Selected pieces balance an understanding of technique with the freedom to move beyond it, creating a fresh work that communicates a new perspective, generating content for the viewer to interact with, think with, and question. These works, whether depicting domestic moments and unique natural scenes, or capturing abstract concepts through a mix of medias, ultimately best exemplified the individuality, breadth, and diversity of the artists of the region. It was a pleasure to take part in this selection process, and hopefully, in the selected works viewers will find pieces to relate to, to enjoy, and to learn from!”

The Berkeley Art Works is open every Wednesday through Friday from 11:00am – 5:00pm and every Saturday from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

The Berkeley Arts Council presents an exhibit of their Creative Arts Studio group from August 10 through August 27, 2022 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street, Martinsburg.

Creative Arts Studio, which is sponsored by the Berkeley Arts Council and supported by the Martinsburg Public Library, is a group of artists who enjoy painting and creating in a relaxed and congenial group setting.  The participants meet weekly on Thursday afternoons at the library or at any of the county’s outdoor venues, weather permitting.  Their exhibit represents the varied approaches they take and media they use to create their work. 

The group has been meeting for the past year and a half.  They are all members of the Berkeley Arts Council: Jeanne Marie McClure, Lannie Mullenax, Susan Cranford, Martha Rowley, Martha Hanley, Louise Janelle, Laura Word, Mary Jo Sims, John Turner, and Judith Becker.

The exhibit is open during regular business hours at the Berkeley Art Works every Wednesday through Friday 11am – 5pm and Saturday 11am – 4pm.