The Berkeley Arts Council in Martinsburg, West Virginia announces its first “Craft in the Eastern Panhandle” exhibit, October 9 through November 9 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street in Martinsburg. A reception for “Craft in the Eastern Panhandle” will be held on Sunday, October 13, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:00pm at the Berkeley Art Works. On Sunday, October 20 from 2:00 – 4:00pm, participate in a discussion about craft and creativity with artists participating in the show. The exhibit is curated by Annette Verna, a ceramic artist whose work is offered in the Berkeley Art Works co-op gallery.
In conjunction with American Craft Week, which is held each year in early October, this exhibit is a month-long celebration of contemporary fine craft and highlights the work of ten artists living and working in and around the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. These artists are master craftspeople working in a variety of media including basketry, clay, metal, textiles, and wood. Their work represents the high quality of craft being created in our region.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, handmade objects were primarily utilitarian and tied us to nature through the use of traditional materials and techniques. Today, using these same materials and techniques, artists transform ideas into works of useful art. Craft is tactile and dimensional; it exists in the physical world as opposed to the virtual world to which our society has become accustomed. Hand-crafted objects are the result of physical activity, mastery of medium, focused attention, curiosity, and passion. They provide us with deep appreciation and meaningful connections in our daily life.
Additional craft-related activities going on in the community during October include activities at the Berkeley Pottery and the Martinsburg Library.
The Berkeley Arts Council in Martinsburg, West Virginia announces the accepted artists for the Seventh Annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit, to be displayed in the Berkeley Art Works Gallery, 116 North Queen Street in Martinsburg, WV. The exhibition will be on display September 4 – October 5, 2019.
26 works from 24 regional artists were selected from 58 submitted works by Juror Judith Becker.
Juror’s Statement:
There were many creative and interesting pieces entered into the exhibit. Selecting the best to show the talent and diversity of the wonderful artists of our area of West Virginia was a challenge. Our exhibit space does not allow for every entry to be accepted and shown. Therefore, some pieces could not be accepted and is no reflection on the value of the work(s) you submitted but did not get selected.
I selected pieces which exemplified excellent creativity, elements of good composition and design and technical acumen. This will portray to the visitors to the exhibit the high level of talent each accepted artist has.
Congratulations the artists whose work were accepted to this great annual juried art exhibit.
Judith Becker, BS Design, Cert. of Education and MSE
We are proud of the continuous programming we’ve created in the ten years since the Council was incorporated on August 14, 2009 and we’re about to launch another year of arts, with an exciting schedule of exhibits, more community activities and our most comprehensive schedule of classes to date!
Ten Years Ago: Malinda Shaver Looks Back
In a conversation with Annette Verna, founding member and past-President Malinda Shaver reflects on the Arts Council’s beginnings ten years ago.
Malinda worked in the Arts in Montgomery County, Maryland, starting in community theater. With her partner and co-founder, Rip Smith, they saw an opportunity to bring the various arts organizations and interests in Berkeley County together to share resources and benefit from a common purpose.
Malinda: “From Rip’s and my earliest association with the arts here, we heard of the wish of local artists to contribute to a desirable and economically healthy but still historic downtown.”
One early inspiration came from Cumberland, MD. In February, 2009, then Executive Director Andy Vick of the Allegany Arts Council made a trip to Martinsburg and spoke to the City Club and other local arts groups about how arts had bolstered the revitalization of that town. That led to the development of the Berkeley Arts Bulletin to promote networking and let the public know what we were trying to do.
They discussed ideas with other organizations, including the Heritage Craft Center and the ArtBerkeley organization as well as numerous individual artists.
From the start, practicing artists were always the primary focus of our efforts and we could see how they could benefit from having an Arts Council. Besides building community, we could provide them exhibition space to show their work, and we also offered Artisan Resource workshops in cooperation with the Tamarack Foundation, to help artists build business and professional skills to strengthen their careers.
Malinda: “Some thought it was not a good time to launch an arts council, since funds were almost non-existent. But sooner or later we felt improvement was coming. Our discussions indicated there was strong support for moving forward, so we jumped in with both feet, incorporating the Berkeley Arts Council in August of 2009: With this foundation we would be ready to take advantage of whatever new opportunities came along.”
We hope to continue to tell the story of the past ten years, reviewing the successes and challenges, as we also plan for the next ten years. In the meantime, you can go back in time and explore our blog archives on our website:
We are excited to announce our first “Craft in the Eastern Panhandle” exhibit, October 9 through November 9 at the Berkeley Art Works. In conjunction with American Craft Week, which is held each year in early October, this exhibit, curated by Annette Verna, is a month-long celebration of contemporary fine craft and highlights the work of ten artists living and working in and around the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. These artists are master craftspeople working in a variety of media including basketry, clay, metal, textiles, and wood. Their work represents the high quality of craft being created in our region.
Co-op Space Available
We have space for one 2-dimensional artist and one 3-dimensional artist in the Berkeley Art Works co-op group. Details about jurying and membership (including downloadable forms) are on the BAC web site at: https://berkeleyartswv.org/artists-at-the-works/#opencall. If you have any questions, please reply back to this email and we’ll fill you in.
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