GivingTuesday was started in 2012 as a day to encourage people to do good.  Since then, it has become a day that inspires people to be generous by giving to organizations that are making a difference in our communities.  The Berkeley Arts Council works to ensure a vibrant, vital arts environment in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  As a recipient of our monthly bulletin, you have followed us and seen us work for 12 years to support frequency, quality and variety of arts-related events, facilitate and promote activities that extend arts throughout the community, and build communication and interaction among arts organizations.

Last year was the first time we participated in GivingTuesday and we received a generous response.  This year we are again asking for support.  Over the past two years, but especially this year, income from class tuition, co-op and exhibit sales, and membership are down, leaving us unable to grow our programming as we had planned.

Let’s face it, most of us don’t like asking for help, but in order to expand our programs, especially in these challenging times, we do need additional support.  Making a monetary donation is easy.  Visit our Web site and scroll down to locate the Donate button on the right side of our main page.  On your mobile device, select About the Berkeley Arts Council from the menu at the top of the screen and scroll down.  Click or tap the button and follow the steps.

Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal and thank you for supporting the Berkeley Arts Council and the arts in Berkeley County and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

All the best,

Anna Howard, President

Berkeley Arts Council

Grassroots generosity and community action are powerful forces for good!  You can support the Berkeley Arts Council any time by buying Berkeley Arts Council gift cards, purchasing classes and memberships as gifts, giving donations.  Use AmazonSmile and name us as your charity.  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook and like/share and participate in our activities.

Ho, ho, ho my goodness!!  The Berkeley Arts Council’s St. Nick’s Market is open for business Wednesday November 24 through Friday December 24, 2021.  The gallery at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 N. Queen Street, Martinsburg, is transformed into a festive holiday market displaying the work of more than 30 local and regional artists and artisans as well as our year ‘round co-op artists.  No supply chain issues here – there’s a variety of items for great selection and fun shopping.  There is a mix of fine art and craft items for the home, including basketry, ceramics, glass, wood, photography, painting and mixed media; cards, and clocks; even local honey!  There’s art to wear, including woven fibers, warm face masks, jewelry and more – all wonderful and thoughtfully made!

The Berkeley Arts Council has been holding a holiday market since 2010.  Originally called the “Holiday Art & Craft Market”, it was held at 116 N. Queen Street before the space became the Arts Council’s official headquarters.  Now in its 12th year, St. Nick’s Market has become a regular holiday shopping destination for the community.  In keeping with the Berkeley Arts Council’s mission to “Amplify the Arts”, one goal of St. Nick’s Market is to acquaint the community with artists from around the region.  Throughout the year, the St. Nick’s planning committee keeps their eye out for potential artists.  Selection criteria includes, skill in the artist’s medium, uniqueness of the work, and appeal to area gift givers.  By creating an environment with more artists’ work, shoppers get to experience the wide range of creativity and talent that resides in the Eastern Panhandle.

Not sure what to buy?  The Berkeley Arts Council also has gift cards, which can be used to purchase work in the gallery, or any of our classes.  Visit St. Nick’s Market at the Berkeley Art Works this year!  Holiday hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:00am to 5:00pm; Fridays 11:00am to 8:00pm; Saturdays 11:00am to 4:00pm and Sundays 12pm – 3pm.

All artists who are members of – or who join – the Berkeley Arts Council for the 2022 calendar year are invited to participate in the Annual Members’ Exhibit at the Berkeley Art Works from January 12 through February 19, 2022.

Participation in the exhibit is a benefit of membership. Any current member (for 2022), working in any medium, may participate in the exhibit. The exhibit is not juried; however, work must be properly framed or otherwise professionally presented and ready for display.

• Two-dimensional work must be wired for hanging. (No saw-tooth hangers, please! They don’t fit on our hanging system.)
• Three-dimensional fine art and fine craft are encouraged and must be ready for professional presentation.
• An identification tag must be attached to each piece, including the artist’s name, title of the work and price if it is for sale.
• The Berkeley Arts Council will retain a 30% commission on sales of work during the exhibit.

To participate, deliver one or two pieces of your work to the Berkeley Art Works on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday January 5, 6, 7 from 11am-5pm, and Saturday, January 8 from 11am-4pm.

Not a member, but want to be? New members may join and renewing members may do so online, at berkeleyartswv.org/join-us/. You can also join at the gallery when you deliver your artwork. There is no entry fee other than membership dues.

The exhibit will be open during Berkeley Art Works business hours, Wednesday – Friday 11am to 5pm, and Saturday 11am to 4pm. The exhibit will be promoted to the local press, as well as on our Web site, Facebook and Instagram. Sorry – no opening reception again this year. Please direct questions via e-mail to bacexhibits@gmail.com.

Our national juried watercolor exhibit is now open in the Berkeley Art Works gallery at 116 North Queen Street in Martinsburg. The juror, Lynn Ferris, selected 32 works by 23 artists.

The Berkeley Art Works is open Wednesday to Saturday so we hope that if you live in the Eastern WV region, you will be able to drop by to see the work in this very interesting show in person. But if you live too far away to make it in to the gallery, we want to share the great work of the artists whose work was selected for this exhibit.

To view a short video presentation of the accepted works, click on the image below. The video will introduce you to the work in the exhibit but it is not a substitute for the experience of seeing the work in-person if you can make it into the gallery.

(Please turn your sound on to hear the music. Please Note: The video is a large file.  Unless your Internet service includes an unlimited data, you should use a Wi-Fi network connection to avoid excessive data use charges on your account.)

To view a short video presentation of the 21 accepted works, click on the image below. The video will introduce you to the work in the exhibit but it is not a substitute for the experience of seeing the work in-person if you can make it into the gallery.

(Turn your sound on to hear the music. Please Note: The video is a large file.  Unless your mobile device is on an unlimited data plan, you should use a Wi-Fi network connection to avoid excessive data use charges on your cellular account. )

Starting in September, the Berkeley Arts Council is offering art classes in-person at the Berkeley Art Works and via the Google Zoom application.  Are you looking for something new to do this fall?  Are you looking to broaden your techniques, learn a new medium, or work in another dimension?  The fall session begins September 7!  These classes offer a variety of media and will appeal to a range of ages and experiences.

Acrylic Paint and Palette Knife Technique is designed to help make a personal statement in your art.  Express emotions boldly and fearlessly, and open the door to mixing colors with great texture.  Using a palette knife, learn how the movement of the wrist will execute movement on the canvas or any surface on which you choose to work.  Bring a reference photograph or picture for inspiration.  This class will be held in person for four weeks on Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30am, beginning September 7.

The Creative You! is the first of a series of workshops exploring different styles of creating art projects in 3-dimensions.  In this exciting class, the instructor will guide students in defining and planning creative ideas and building their ideas in 3-D!  Participants will start creating using cardboard, and progress to making an abstract face, a marble maze, a pinball machine and a full head mask ready for any occasion.  Bring your ideas and get ready to exercise those creative muscles!  No prior art experience is necessary.  Designed for anyone ages 15 and older who wants to explore the possibilities of The Creative You!  Class will be held in person for four weeks on Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30pm, beginning September 21.

Creative Landscape Painting – Give your landscape painting that WOW factor!  Working from a single landscape reference photo, the instructor will present different approaches to painting your landscape scene with vastly different results.  This is a unique way to push your art into new dimensions, all the while learning composition and color theory beyond the usual.  Surprise yourself with new abilities to advance your artistic expertise.  Two sessions are being offered:  in person for four weeks on Wednesdays, 3:00-5:00pm, and via Zoom for four weeks on Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30pm.  Both sessions begin September 22.

Making Clay Tiles (Tessellations) – Students will make plaster molds and learn to make different types of clay tiles.  This class is being offered in two sessions:  in-person for four weeks on Thursdays, 2:00-4:00pm, and via Zoom for four weeks on Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm.  Both sessions begin September 23.

Printmaking with Mixed Media – Print, the mark left on a surface by pressure:  the footprint on a beach, the imprint of a leaf, or texture of weathered wood.  The making of a print can be achieved by a wide variety of methods.  Making a permanent record of an object, and making a series of line impressions that differ in color or surface texture is only part of the intriguing craft of the printmaker!  This 6-week class will be held via Zoom on Saturdays, 9:00-11:00am, starting October 16.

Become a Color Pro focuses on all of the features, benefits and nuances of the primary colors.  Each week, participants will delve into the commonly known hues in each color family, starting with the reds, then the blues, and then the yellows; with the last class to focus on grays and blacks.  This class will give participants a firm foundation for determining which hue in a color family to use to get a specific effect.  Simple exercises will be presented for each color family and participants can use most any medium:  watercolor, acrylic or oil paint, or colored pencil (pastel not recommended).  This class is being offered in two sessions:  in person for four weeks on Wednesdays, 3:00-5:00pm, and via Zoom for four weeks on Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30pm.  Both sessions begin October 20.

Register now!! For more details, materials lists, schedules, class prices, and to register, visit https://berkeleyartswv.org/instruction/.  Pre-registration is required for all classes.  In-person classes will be held at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 N. Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV.  Please note:  Space is very limited for in-person classes.  All in-person class participants will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and wear masks while at the Berkeley Art Works.  Classes will be set up for distancing.  Direct questions via e-mail to instruction@berkeleyartswv.org, or call 304-620-7277 during business hours Wednesday through Friday, 11am – 5pm and Saturday, 11am – 4pm.

The Berkeley Arts Council is hosting the work of the Boys & Girls Club Annual Photography Competition from August 11 through 28 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 N. Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV.

The Council has hosted this exhibit since 2014.  There are 13 young artists from the Boys & Girls Club of Berkeley County represented, ages 12 to 18, and 37 photographs created using conventional black & white and color film processes, as well as digital photography.  Subjects range from portraits to landscapes; still life, product shots and architecture.

The exhibit comes straight from the 74th Annual Berkeley County Youth Fair, where the work was displayed for judging from July 31 through August 7.  This year features work completed in 2020 and 2021.  There are 13 blue ribbons and numerous awards displayed in the show, including First Premium Award for “Mrs. Vicky”, by Travis Evans, Second Premium Award for “Secluded Glen”, by Aiden Murphy, and Third Premium Award for “Three Sopranos”, by Dakota Fiery.

The 9th Annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit features artwork by artists in the eight counties that comprise the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia: Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, Hampshire, Hardy, Grant, Mineral, and Pendleton.

The Juror’s selections are in and the Juror, Ally Christmas, selected 21 works by 18 artists from 48 works submitted by 23 artists.

Here is the statement from the Juror:

“It was truly a pleasure to see such a wide variety of works from this community. I found it quite difficult to narrow down the selections as there was so much talent present throughout the entries. Ultimately, I honed in on a couple threads of commonality that led to this final grouping of works. After a year that has felt like 5 years, I found myself gravitating towards the pieces that invoked either a sense of peacefulness or a sense of whimsy – perhaps surreality or wonder, too. When brought together, these artworks may provide an escape from our harsh reality and offer some respite, no matter how brief. They are needed.”

The exhibit opens September 1 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street in Martinsburg and will run through October 9, 2021.

The accepted artists and works are: