June 9–September 8, 2024
This display showcases three Shenandoah Valley artists working in distinct mediums to illustrate individual perspectives of a shared world. Drawing from the long standing traditions of collage, macrame, and abstract painting, the artists featured here build upon a common understanding of these methods to redefine expectations. The artwork invites the viewer to look closely at the given titles and the works themselves, often challenging them to reinterpret what they see through this context.
Laura Thompson
Laura Thompson is an award-winning mixed media and collage artist living and working in Harrisonburg, VA. The “Floral Worlds” on display here combine painted flower backgrounds with meticulously cut and placed vintage collage elements to create imaginative and surreal narratives. Each piece employs tension, humor, gaze, or a combination of those qualities to surprise and delight.
“The goal is to draw the viewer closer, provoke wonder, and invite them into the joke. I strive to create a more inclusive, alternate reality where logic is loosely interpreted and possibilities are endless.”
Ruby Kauffman Hostetler
Ruby Kauffman Hostetler is a fiber and macrame artist local to Harrisonburg, VA. who finds inspiration in the forest in which she lives and on travels throughout the United States. She weaves elements of the natural world’s movement, color, shape, and texture into her work to reflect this. Three of the pieces on display here were specifically designed to illustrate what cross-sections of earth might look like in distinct locations of the United States: the Midwest, Southwest, and the mountains of West Virginia.
“My intention with this body of work is to bring the beauty and wonder of nature inside or wherever it is hung and to remind the viewer of our responsibility of caring for our earth.”
Kerry Stavely
Kerry Stavely is an interdisciplinary artist and curator based in the Shenandoah Valley. This most recent work of non-figurative abstract paintings marks a return to creative play, something the artist states many lose with age and obligations. Here Stavely makes a return to working intuitively while exploring color, marks, and texture.
“I’m seeking out that meditative state, or as an athlete would put it, getting into “the zone” where everything is working together and everything else just melts away.”
"Gaillardia (Dance Partner)" by Laura Thompson. Mixed media collage.
"Dogwood" by Laura Thompson. Mixed media collage.
"Arches" by Ruby Kauffman Hostetler. Cotton fiber, tree branch.
"Drift Away" by Ruby Kauffman Hostetler. Cotton fiber, tree branch.
"Where did the daffodils go?" by Kerry Stavely. Acrylic on canvas.
Art by Kerry Stavely. Acrylic on wood panel. Top left: "Inlets" Bottom left: "Red Eye" Top right: "Red Spots" Bottom right: "Neil Sees a Cat"
The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley believes that art has a special role in the community. The Art in the Halls program provides space for regional artists to showcase their work in an area that is free to the public and accessible by all.
The goals of this program are to:
Interested in applying to be part of Art in the Halls? The MSV invites emerging to mid-career artists to apply.
What you will need:
The MSV invites artists of any medium to submit their work, but please note the restrictions of the exhibition space. The Art in the Halls program is mounted in the Glaize and Lewis halls on the first floor of the MSV building. Groups or artists who wish to be considered should complete the application form. Please note that MSV will not accept pieces that are older than three years or have been shown regionally within the last year. Have questions about whether your artwork is a good fit for Art in the Halls? Contact Christy Broy: cbroy@themsv.org , (540)662-1473, ext 244.
How it works:
Submissions are reviewed from the digital images provided in the application and exhibition selections are determined by committee. Submissions are also evaluated on the exhibition description and artist’s statement. This information helps the committee understand the level of artistic development and commitment of the submitting artist/group. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Work submitted for the exhibition must be of the same quality, medium, and style as the work submitted in the proposal. Artists must be the original creators of the work they are submitting.
The MSV will do its best to respond to your submission, but please note that we receive a large number of inquiries. An MSV representative will contact you should additional materials be requested for further consideration.
Artists who are accepted will have a three-year interval before another solo proposal will be considered. Artists are strongly encouraged to keep pricing consistent with websites and other sale sites.
Please note:
Paperwork:
Selected artists will receive an Artist Welcome Packet that contains all pertinent exhibition paperwork that must be completed by the designated deadlines. By signing the Art in the Halls Agreement, the artist agrees to meet all deadlines for deliverables and to maintain open communication with the MSV as the exhibition is planned and organized.
Commission & Payment:
The MSV retains a commission of 40% on sales made through the Art in the Halls program.
Interested in applying to be part of Art in the Halls? The MSV invites emerging to mid-career artists to apply.
Explore a display of works by dozens of regional artists that showcases art selected to be reproduced on banners in Old Town Winchester.
Explore the fantastical worlds created by Ben Hatke and David Kiefer in this exhibition that examines artists as storytellers.
This display features the Fourth Annual Teen Art Club Exhibition and Impact, which include works by local student artists and Virginia public school educators.
Sapphire is a display of works from ShenArts members that explores the color blue in a variety of styles in celebration or the organization’s sapphire (45th) anniversary.
This display features four regional artists working across several mediums who embrace the varied and recognizable imagery of pop culture.
John Handley High School, built in 1923 as a fourth through twelfth grade school, is the pride of the City of Winchester. Handley 100th is a photographic exhibit celebrating Handley's 100th anniversary.
This display showcases the work of two artists who have settled in the Shenandoah Valley and who look closely at the relationships between people and places.
This display of works from ShenArts members showcases the work of 33 regional artists who invite the viewer to look more closely at the everyday.
Vivid artworks in a variety of styles and mediums by regional artists Arlene Butler and Norma Fredrickson.
A display of original artworks by dozens of local artists selected for the ArtScape banner art program in Old Town Winchester.