Home Harrisonburg: Rockingham County artist presents watercolor paintings in ‘Home to Me’
Arts, Local

Harrisonburg: Rockingham County artist presents watercolor paintings in ‘Home to Me’

Rebecca Barnabi
“Cornflowers” is by Noemi Clymer Kurtz. Photo courtesy of Noemi Clymer Kurtz.

As one Rockingham County artist and entrepreneur contemplates college and new places, the paintings in her upcoming exhibit represent something more than beauty: the meaning of home.

Noemi Clymer Kurtz, who creates art as Noemi Salome, will open her exhibit “Home to Me” on Thursday, July 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the sanctuary gallery at the Church of the Incarnation in Harrisonburg. The show, which will run through August 31, features watercolor paintings inspired by folk art styles and the vibrant natural landscape of the Shenandoah Valley.

“These works embody my deep love for this place where I grew up. They capture my memories of home before I begin college. The concept of home includes so much more than just a physical house. My home comes from my family’s history, this community, and especially the nature that surrounds us,” Clymer Kurtz, who will be at the opening, said.

The pieces in the exhibit, all framed by the artist, include landscapes, geometrics, and selections of native flora and fauna, such as a swallowtail butterfly perched on a stand of purple phlox flowers.

Home to Me” will be Clymer Kurtz’s second solo exhibit since starting her art business journey in 2020. She has enjoyed vending at local art markets and has art prints and greeting cards available online and at Frame Factory & Gallery, where she also works part-time.

A 2025 high school graduate, she plans to attend Blue Ridge Community College in fall 2025 and to study art and environmental science.

More information about Clymer Kurtz is available online.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.