Berkeley Arts Council Opens Exhibit to Celebrate Green Hill Historic African-American Cemetery

Fresh Visions:  An Exhibit to Celebrate the Green Hill Historic African-American Cemetery will open February 19 through March 20, 2021 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 N. Queen Street, Martinsburg. 

The idea for the show was proposed by Berkeley Arts Council member and GHHAAC volunteer Charles Mortensen.  His purpose is to bring attention to the cemetery and the GHHAAC Committee, a not-for-profit group of volunteers who organized to clean up and care for the cemetery site located on the east side of Martinsburg.  The exhibit is also a fundraiser for the GHHAAC Committee.

Several themes are represented in this show, including revitalization and preservation activities at the site; preservation of the history and identity of the cemetery; and commemoration and remembrance of souls buried there.  The show includes the work of twelve artists from as far as Baltimore, MD.  There are approximately 20 works of art with a range of media and techniques represented, including drawing, painting, photography, woodworking, stained glass, clay, mixed-media, assemblage, collage, and gravestone rubbing, as well as historical artifacts.  Current hours at Berkeley Art Works are Friday and Saturday, 11am – 3pm.  Images from the exhibit will soon be posted on the Web site https://berkeleyartswv.org.

The Berkeley Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) non‐profit organization incorporated in West Virginia working to ensure that Berkeley County has a vibrant, vital arts environment by promoting awareness, understanding and appreciation of the literary, visual and performing arts in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  The Berkeley Arts Council supports local and regional artists, brings quality arts experiences to the community, and provides a wide range of arts learning experiences for local residents, artists and artisans.