Smith House Galleries announces two October exhibitions

Arts Council of the Valley opens two new exhibitions at Smith House Galleries during First Fridays Downtown on Friday, Oct. 1, with a 5-8 p.m. reception.

New Works in Metal features sculptures by Michael Hough, while Headbones showcases paintings by Lydia Hough.

Sponsored by Bridgewater College, the reception kicks off exhibitions by one of its faculty members, Associate Professor of Art Michael Hough, and one of its students, art major Lydia Hough.

Both exhibitions run through Oct. 29, with in-person visits Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (masks required). Smith House Galleries, located at 311 South Main Street, is supported in part by ACV’s 2021 Cultivating the Arts Platinum Sponsors: Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Matchbox Realty, and Riner Rentals.

“I am interested in and excited by assemblage, sculpting with found iron and steel elements,” Michael Hough said. “The power and weight of the metal sculptures can generate excitement and even fear by their sheer weight and height. I also like to make the viewer smile, and many of my pieces play with found elements to create humor.”

Lydia Hough enjoys working in acrylic, colored pencil, collage, and graphite.

“As a young artist, I am still figuring out what I want to paint – and a style for myself,” she said. “I love messing with saturation and color. Painting skulls has given me the opportunity to play with color and value.”

Arts Council of the Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts and connecting communities in the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists.

Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $412,000 since 2001), and coordinates monthly First Fridays Downtown community gatherings.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.