The West Virginia Watercolor Society (WVWS) is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024 with a series of regional watercolor exhibitions around the state. The Berkeley Arts Council (BAC) will be hosting one of these regional shows at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 N. Queen St., Martinsburg, during June and July. The gallery is open from 11 AM to 5 PM Wednesday through Friday, and from 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturday.
WVWS was founded in 1984 when 54 West Virginia artists organized a society to “promote and ensure the high standards of the art of watercolor painting in the state of West Virginia.” The society has also worked to guide and assist students and aspiring watercolor artists, and educate the general public about the broad scope of the medium. The society annually holds exhibitions around the state, including a national juried exhibition. The group also gathers yearly for a workshop and publishes a member newsletter and website at https://wvwatercolorsociety.org.
This regional exhibit at Berkeley Art Works will feature work by WVWS Region III members. Region III includes the counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, and Webster.
Exhibitor Kristen Colebank of Hardy County suggests that some visitors might be surprised by the exhibit. “Many people often think watercolors are just paint sets for young children. This exhibit will highlight professional mastery in watercolor and demonstrate how the medium covers a range of creative expression, including realism, abstraction, and everything in between,” she said.
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.
