Shenandoah Valley Art Center hosts Beverley Street Studio School artists in October

The Shenandoah Valley Art Center, during the month of October, is exhibiting works of art by the Beverley Street Studio School artists – students and instructors.

Located in historic downtown Staunton, the school of art was founded in 1992 by a group of artists who sought to teach the art of working from direct observation. Nationally recognized instructors are both practicing and professional artists in their fields.

Instructors who have students exhibiting are Karen Rosasco, Ron Boehmer, Josef Berry, Nancy Bass, and Mary Echols. From Rosasco’s class on the Elements of Art and Principals of Design, her student, Sue Rosen, will exhibit a layered piece with collage and fluid acrylics. Boehmer taught a class on the Nature of Artistic Perception as it related to Visual Perception and Personal Expression.

He felt that Eliza Hoover and Dana Quillan were students who showed a quality even more important than “talent”…. “perseverance.” Berry taught Relief Printing which introduced the students to cutting a vinyl sheet as their plate. She thinks it is collaboration between the artist and the tools. Even the beginner finds success through “happy accidents.” Painting Animals with Confidence was taught by Nancy Bass.

Seeing the big shapes and not focusing on small details is key to painting animals. Scheline Crutchfield was willing to try this method and showed an amazing talent for portraying dogs. Mary Echols led Monday Morning on Beverley Street, a group of participants who wanted to know more about ART, its history and the appreciation of it.

Echol’s selection of members to be represented in the exhibit is  June Jordan, Virginia Deane, Sue Rosen, Sondra Shaner, Frances Dowdy, and Astrid Tuttle.

Open Session meets Monday and Friday of every week and is open to all those wishing to work from a model for a small fee.  Work by Christine Watts, Josephine McMurty, Janine Higgins, and Jennifer Deane will be representative of time invested in the Open Session.

Weekly art classes and weekend art workshops are offered quarterly throughout the year. Travel-study programs attract students wishing to study in the Southwestern USA, Italy and France. Beverley Street Studio School is currently housed on the first floor of the historic former Stonewall Jackson School Building (217 West Beverley Street).

The BSSS Gallery is located in the Beverley Street Galleries, which also houses CoART Gallery, an artists’ cooperative gallery (22 W. Beverley Street). An opening reception will be held Saturday, October 3, 6-8 p.m. and the public is encouraged to come and meet the artists.

SVAC members will display their Artist’s Choice in the Members’ Gallery this month. In the Docent Room, Sandra Bryson will be showing her soft watercolors that have the feel of traditional English architectural scenes.  Join the fun and discussion as we view these creative works.

Come enjoy the gathering of folks seeking creative inspiration, camaraderie, and sharing of techniques through art activities and classes. Please join us for a free open studio opportunity on third Thursdays, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. with the Art Trading Card Group.   SVAC offers, the ever popular Saturday Art for Kids, presenting a creative art experience for young artists from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Contact the art center for specific information and pre-registration for each class. Open studio opportunities in the Virginia Ross Education Studio are available to printmakers and ceramic artists.  Apply on line at www.SVACart.com.

The ever popular 44th Virginia Fall Foliage Festival Art Show will be held on October 10 and 11. Approximately one hundred and fifty artists from across the country will bring their artwork to downtown Waynesboro.  Exhibits will open 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday with free admission and parking. Join us for tons of unique art, a chance to sample regional gourmet foods, craft beers, and great music. Face painting for kids, an interactive art project for visitors, live painting, roving musicians, street performers, and a day culminating with an awards ceremony for the artists are just a few of the features resulting from a partnership between the Art Show and Waynesboro Down Town Development, Inc.  Recently, the show was voted one of the top three art events in Virginia by “Virginia Living” readers

The art center is a retail alliance partner with the Artisan Center of Virginia. In the SVAC Gift Shop you can find the perfect creative gift in fiber, jewelry, wood, glass, pottery, and more by juried artisans from Virginia and SVAC member artists.

The Shenandoah Valley Art Center is located in downtown Waynesboro at 122 S. Wayne Avenue.  Galleries are open to the public 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.  For more information, call (540) 949-7662 or visit www.svacart.com.