Author: Rsmith

“An Evening With the Arts”

Rsmith Artist Opportunities, Artists, Arts Events, Berkeley Art Works, Berkeley Arts Council News

Update:

We held our first "Evening with The Arts" on Saturday, November 12 and it was a wonderful gathering of supporters of The Arts and the Berkeley Arts Council. There was good food and music to create the atmosphere, and the awarding of more than 40 works of art for those who participated in the "Tombola" raffle/auction.

Many thanks to the artists, who donated their work, the sponsors, who supported the event, and the Board and members of the Berkeley Arts Council, who put a great effort into making the event successful.

Why your participation in "An Evening With the Arts" is important:

The Berkeley Arts Council has been working in Berkeley County and the Eastern Panhandle area to bring arts-related programming since 2009.  During our 13 years, we've held 2 successful Arts Expos.  We helped the Berkeley Community Chorus get its start.  We created a student dance competition.  We've built a local artists' cooperative.  We've published a Bulletin of arts happenings every month without missing a month - even during the worst of Covid.  We create exhibition opportunities for visual artists and changing exhibits for the public to enjoy 9 times per year.  We've built up an instruction program of foundational art classes and workshops for all ages.  We work in the community with other creative and arts establishments to bring people downtown for First Friday Art Walks.  These are just a few examples of what we've accomplished.

We want to continue this important work and do more for the community!  Whether you purchase tickets for the event, or you want to be a business sponsor, proceeds will benefit our future programming.  We are recognized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit by the IRS.  We appreciate your support!

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Thanks to our Sponsors and Supporters!

Sponsors and Supporters

Eastern West Virginia Exhibit Awards

Rsmith Berkeley Arts Council News

The Berkeley Arts Council announces the award winners for their 10th Annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit.  Congratulations to the following artists:

Best of Show:  “Montani Semper Liberi” cottonwood carving by John Carper, Martinsburg WV

Merit Award:  “Repose” oil on canvas by BJ Grandel, Martinsburg WV

Merit Award:  “Flying Jellyfish” fiber and mixed media by Carol Williams, Shepherdstown, WV

Honorable Mention:  “Death of a Salesman with Sitka Spruce and Iron” assemblage by John Walsh, Shepherdstown, WV

 
Honorable Mention:  “Untitled” photograph by Leslie Williams, Shepherdstown, WV
 

The awards for this year’s 10th Annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit were sponsored by a generous donation from City National Bank.  The exhibit is on display until October 8 at the Berkeley Art Works.

 
 
 

10th Annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit Opens at Berkeley Art Works

Rsmith Berkeley Arts Council News

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.

Accepted Artists: Eastern West Virginia Juried Exhibit

Rsmith Berkeley Arts Council News

Juror Jenna Gianni selected 33 works by 22 artists for the 10th annual Eastern West Virginia Juried Art Exhibit, to be held at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street in Martinsburg. The exhibit opens August 31 and runs through October 8, 2022.

Accepted Artists/Works

First Name Last Name Title
Jill Baldinger Sky Valley
Jill Baldinger Stanton’s Mill
Jill Baldinger Village Church
Luke Bauer Wild Egg Basket
Judith Becker Bahama Conch Cook
Gary Bergel City Throne – Martinsburg
Gary Bergel Spring Tree Charles Town
Suzan Bernier The End of the Road
Stacy Bowles Woven Paper Collage
John Carper Quittin’ Time
John Carper Montani Semper Liberi
Laura Chalupka Forest Goddess
Betty Grandel Repose
Betty Grandel At the Theater
Heather Hendry Derby Day
Heather Hendry Molly
Nancy Kautz Southern Charm
Doug Kinnett Columbus Day in Flagstaff
Doug Kinnett Grand Central Station Arizona Style
Jeanne McClure Uncorked
Rungnatee Pearson Osun
Judith Pharr Great Horned Owl
Ian Sager Prayer
Sterling “Rip”  Smith Shark
John Walsh Bold Coil Comes Undone Over Dark Denim
John Walsh Death of a Salesman with Sitka Spruce and Iron 
John Walsh Pastel Petals Prance on Light Denim
Carol Williams Flying Jellyfish
Carol Williams Surveillance
Carol Williams The Definitive Thorny Issue
Leslie Williams Untitled (Photo of Sand and Leaf)
Leslie Williams Untitled (Photo of Reflected Sky in Puddle)
Omar Williams Rolex

Contemporary Printmaking Exhibit(Update: Awards)

Rsmith Artists, Arts Events, Berkeley Art Works, Berkeley Arts Council News

The Berkeley Arts Council (BAC) announces the award winners for the Contemporary Printmaking juried exhibit, an exhibit of works in various printmaking techniques. The purpose of the exhibit is to introduce the community to the versatile medium of printmaking.

The exhibit is on display from June 29 to August 6, 2022 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV. The gallery is open every Wednesday – Friday, 11-5 and Saturday 11-4.

The juror, Matthew McLaughlin, selected five award winners.

 

The Best of Show went to Brandon Williams from Nashville, Tennessee for his copper plate etching entitled, “From the Ground Up”.

Merit Awards were given to Mitch Eckert from Louisville, Kentucky for his copper plate etching “Still Life with Inedibles”, and Ginny Fielding from Midlothian, Virginia for her lithograph “Upper Crust”.

Honorable Mentions went to “Downstream” a lithograph by Elizabeth Fontenot from Beaumont, Texas and “They’re Near You When You Sleep”, a zinc plate monotype by Mark Goodmanson from Crystal Lake, Illinois.

The juror, Matthew McLaughlin, is a mixed media artist and curator who explores the human relationship with their environments, specifically urban and suburban spaces. He is a Senior Lecturer and teaches printmaking at the University of Maryland. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts from Ringling College of Art and Design and his Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking from Arizona State University.

There are 26 works by 19 artists from 15 states in the exhibit. “In making my selections, the versatility and breadth of printmaking and its processes continued to surprise me. For an art form to have such a wide range of capabilities and be able to produce such a variety of imagery astonishes me again and again. The submissions for the exhibition did not disappoint either. With pieces created through so many processes, it was difficult to decide upon the selections for the exhibition. The prints spoke to me in many ways. For some it was through their craft and cleanliness, while for others it was their gestural quality. Whether it be the crisp quality of a relief print or the tonal subtlety of photogravure, the scope of what an artist can accomplish with print continues to expand with each generation. In the exhibition, I choose to emphasize the range of printmaking’s abilities through the pieces. From photographic work to abstract, from small scale to large, the works bring forward the full gamut of the medium in both process and concept.”

Contemporary Printmaking – Juror’s Selections

Rsmith Berkeley Arts Council News

Congratulations to the following artists whose works have been selected for the Contemporary Printmaking exhibit!

The Juror, Matt McLaughlin, selected 31 works by 22 artists in 17 states from a total of 58 submitted pieces by 26 artists.

The exhibit will be open June 29 to August 6 at the Berkeley Art Works, 116 North Queen Street in Martinsburg, WV. 

Contemporary Printmaking Accepted Works

First Name Last Name Title
Tina Armando Goodnight Monster Under the Bed
Peter Baczek Diagonals
Peter Baczek Network
Linda Behar Diabla L`eon
Linda Behar Warrior
Bill Brookover Rhythm & Harmony
Bryonna Castor Lil’ Bonnie
Bob Conge Portrait of Man Ray
Mitch Eckert Still Life with Inedibles
Mitch Eckert Still Life with Three Plastic Peaches
Ginny Fielding Upper Crust
Ginny Fielding Massage
Anne Finucane Debby’s View
Anne Finucane Sunset, Airport Road
Elizabeth Fontenot Downstream
Elizabeth Fontenot Single Serving
Mark Goodmanson They’re Near You When You Sleep
Robert Howsare wndrng
Kazhia Kolb Quartet 2
Joseph Lupo Lost in Translation Anagrams:  Des…Traces…! Mais de quel animal?
John O’Donnell Vestal Forum Green Screen
John O’Donnell Green Cornice in the Roman Forum
Robynn Smith August #15
Robynn Smith Hill and My Heart #5
David Taylor Gluttony
R.L. Tillman Loving
R.L. Tillman If You Can Keep It
Nic Tisdale di-chot-o-my:  Love/Hate I
Brandon Williams From the Ground Up
Susan Wolsborn Balloon Formation
Elektra Zolnoski Bathypelagic Inflorescence

Call for Artists Contemporary Printmaking

Rsmith Artist Opportunities, Arts Events, Berkeley Art Works, Berkeley Arts Council News

On display from June 29 to August 6, 2022
Deadline for Entries: May 22, 2022 at midnight

Open to all visual artists throughout the continental United States, over the age of 18, working in any printmaking technique, representational, abstract, or non-representational subject matter. Works in any of the following printmaking techniques: engraving, etching, lithography, linoleum or woodcut, screen printing.  Photomechanical, digital or mixed media processes may be incorporated as long as the primary technique is one of printmaking. Entries must be original works completed within the last three (3) years, and have not been exhibited previously at the Berkeley Art Works.

Juror:  Matthew McLaughlin is a mixed media artist and curator who explores the human relationship with their environments, specifically urban and suburban spaces.  He is a Senior Lecturer and teaches printmaking at the University of Maryland.

Entry Fee:  $35 for the first two works. Artists may submit one or two additional works for $10 each, for a maximum of four works.

Awards:  Best in Show, Merit Award and Honorable Mention. Total prize fund up to $1,000.

Deadline for Entries: May 22, 2022 at midnight

Entries Closed