Art show to celebrate upcoming opening of Seven Bends State Park

Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River is pleased to announce an art exhibition opening at Muse Vineyards in Woodstock on Sunday, Aug. 4 from 3-5 p.m.

Celebrate Seven Bends heralds the imminent opening of Seven Bends State Park. The show will feature invited local artists exploring the natural beauty of the Shenandoah River through conservation and ecological themes in original works through varied media, including painting, pottery, sculpture, ceramics, and stained glass.

All artworks in the Celebrate Seven Bends exhibition are available for purchase with 30 percent of the sales earmarked for Friends of the North Fork in support of Seven Bends State Park. The show’s 18 local artists are Barbara Camph, Penelope Carroll, Ann Cheeks, Deborah Cooper, Maureen Crisman, Lynne Crumpacker, Ellen Fairchild-Flugel, Alice Findler, Diane Gould, Jewel Hertzel, August Hoerr, Marty Hoerr, Holly Huddle, Liz Karaffa, Kathy Kavanaugh, Glenn Richardson, Kim Juda Souder, and Laurel Vaughn.

The exhibition opening will be followed by a “Wine on the Water” event at Muse Vineyards, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, to benefit Friends of the North Fork. Tickets are $35 per person, $50 for two, and include wine, light appetizers, and a one-year membership in FNFSR for new members.

The exhibition will be open through Aug. 30.

David Brotman, Friends of the North Fork’s Executive Director, said about the mutually beneficial relationship between Friends, the Park, and the community: “The Park alone brings so many benefits to our whole community. And having support for the Park come right out of the community—like this celebration with Muse Vineyards—brings the circle full ‘round. That Friends and our Seven Bends committee are called on to help form these connections and fuel our sense of community is an honor.”

Since 2015, Friends of the North Fork has served as the Community-Support Organization for Seven Bends State Park. Through this role, Friends partners with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to help the community take advantage of increased river access and educational programming opportunities provided by the Park.

The Park was dedicated in 2005. Chief Ranger Thomas Stevens became the Park’s first full-time employee in late 2017.

“Seven Bends State Park is excited and grateful to have so much support pouring out of a great community. With the Park’s official opening planned for this fall, we will finally be able to observe and appreciate the hard work that has been and continues to be applied,” he said. “Organizing awesome events like the Celebrate Seven Bends art show not only allows us to have a great time, but aids us in developing and shaping the Park into exactly what the community has in mind.”