Smith House Galleries January exhibition features artist Jennifer Cox

The Arts Council of the Valley Jan. 3-31 exhibition at Smith House Galleries features paintings by Jennifer Cox.

Wanton Biophilia ​ kicks off with an opening reception during First Fridays Downtown Jan. 3, 5 to 8 pm. ​ACV’s Lead Sponsors are ​Atlantic Union Bank (First Fridays Downtown) and Kathy Moran Wealth Group (Smith House Galleries 2020 Art Series). Opening reception sponsors are Louise and Alden Hostetter.

A native of Southwest Virginia, Cox spent her childhood buried in a book, engrossed in a drawing, or exploring the Virginia woods. Moving to Richmond to attend art school was a culture shock, as was a sojourn in Vermont for further study. Cox returned to Richmond to raise her daughter, participate in the city’s arts community and continue to paint.

The opportunity to buy a small farm in Rockbridge County offered a return to the mountains, where she now lives and works in (mostly) splendid isolation.

“These paintings are a synthesis of psychology and biology,” Cox explained, “the result of a lifetime of fascination with the natural world filtered through my subconscious: through my emotions, experiences, thought processes and philosophical leanings.”

Smith House Galleries, 311 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, is open Monday-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturdays (Jan. 4, 11, 18 & 25) from 10 am to 2 pm. The exhibition will be open through Friday, Jan. 31.