Join the Montgomery Museum of Art & History on Thursday, September 7, 2023, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. for the opening reception of local artist Lois Stephens and the awards ceremony for the multi-artist Railroad Theme Art Show. The reception will take place in the museum at 4 East Main Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073.

So many talented and well-trained artists say they wish they could loosen up and let go of the comfort of realism.  Lois Stephens is one of the few who accomplished that goal.  Her new exhibition entitled, “Oilful Expressions,” shows how Stephens prefers to work in oil with a palette knife, a device that replaces the brush and lends itself to free rein.  She says the more you do it, the more confident you become.  Also, don’t be afraid to change something that doesn’t work.  “It’s just paint.”  Oil paint is especially easy to remove or paint over.  “Simplify.”  Painting in an impressionist style comes from simplifying what you have been doing. Many of the paintings in the show are landscapes depicting local scenes that often include water.  “Flow” shows a stream in springtime, “Hibernal” a cold winter scene, and “Garden Path” a walk bordered with flowers.  Compared to her earlier works, these paintings are more impressionistic in style.

Along with opening Stephens’ show on September 7, the museum is acknowledging the closing of the Railroad Theme Art Show. Twenty local artists have submitted over forty works in numerous media including paint, pen and ink, photography, and wood scrollwork that depicts railroad heritage. The People’s Choice voting for the awards ceremony is taking place now, and voting will close at 6:00 p.m. at the reception with awards presented at 6:30 p.m. Vote now at: https://montgomerymuseum.org/exhibits/railroad-theme-show. A cash bar will be available and food will be catered by Zeppoli’s.

Jan 3

DAVE PETERSEN EXHIBIT

MONTGOMERY MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORY

Tranquility.  If there is a theme to Dave Petersen’s new oil and photography show at the Montgomery Museum of Art and History, it is tranquility.

Most of these tranquil places can be found within a 50-mile radius of here, stretching from the Smokies to the Outer Banks.  If you have lived around here for even a short time, you will find yourself saying, “I know that place” or “I have seen that.” One recognizable place is the previous location for the MMAH, which was originally the home for a Presbyterian minister.  But on closer look, Petersen’s work may show a place like Mabry Mill or McAfee Knob in a different light or covered with snow or even the feathery hoar frost, which only forms under special cold conditions, usually at high elevations.

In order to catch the scene at the right time, Petersen, often accompanied by his son Paul, also a painter and photographer, sometimes endures harsh conditions and waits for the just right moment.  The pair often camp out and take a compass with them to determine where the sun will be in the morning.  Early Boy Scout training comes in handy.

“Low Clouds Over the Smoky Mountains” required such persistence. The pair drove up to Clingmans Dome in the Smokies to do some photography.  Once up on Clingmans Dome they were greeted with low clouds, heavy winds, and blowing rain.  After waiting over two hours and with the weather getting worse, they gave up and started driving back down to the campsite.  Just as they dropped below the clouds, they saw the distant mountains.  The wind and rain had stopped, and there Petersen took a picture that became the basis for the oil painting in this exhibit.

The upcoming show features both oil paintings and photography in about equal numbers, and about half of the photographs are in black and white.  Petersen has been compared to Ansel Adams, although the techniques used are different, as digital photography has changed the way artists work. Petersen’s photographs are often printed on stretch canvas.

About a quarter of the works depict scenes in the western United States, where the scenery is decidedly different from that in Virginia.   Art works depict tranquil places out west such as Glacier, Yellowstone, Death Valley, the Tetons, the Black Hills, or the deciduous rain forest on Mount Olympus in Washington.

Dave Petersen became interested in art in high school, where he was privileged to study under famed local artist Walter Biggs.  Another favorite muse is Richard Schmid, the impressionist or realist, depending upon whom you ask, known for his paintings of the west and the Hudson River Valley.  Petersen attended Virginia Western Community College and Madison College (now James Madison University), where he stayed on for a master’s degree, not in painting or photography, but in ceramics.  He decided not to pursue a career in ceramics, in part because the expensive gas-fired kilns available in college are not usually accessible to the individual artist.  Instead, Petersen taught himself photography.  Three years of technical drawing still influence his work, but he likes to loosen up when painting and leave the viewers to find their own paths.

Petersen taught high school art for twenty years and was an assistant principal in Blacksburg.  After retirement and the forced isolation necessitated by COVID, he has found more time to pursue his art, more “growing time” as he puts it, or time to reevaluate where to go next.  Half of his studio is relegated to photography and the other half to painting, so he seems to be going both directions.

Petersen said, “You can learn a lot about people by what they photograph.”   So, Dave Petersen must be a tranquil man.

Dave Petersen’s exhibit will be at the Montgomery Museum of Art and History at 4 East Main Street in Christiansburg from January 3 to February 27.  A public reception is being planned for February 2 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Greetings,

Thank you for considering membership to the Montgomery Museum!

The Montgomery Museum of Art and History is undergoing significant growth and change as we embark on a new journey to Downtown Christiansburg. As you may be aware, the Museum will be moving its operations to 4 East Main Street on the Town Square in Christiansburg. This move, scheduled for Summer 2022, will allow the institution to better serve Montgomery County and the New River Valley as a premier cultural destination.

In just a few months, we have raised nearly $800,000 toward our goal of $1.6 million needed for the move. The total reflects the purchase price of the property plus building renovations such as an elevator and ADA-compliant restrooms. We are very excited at our progress and hope to continue our fundraising success.

We have many exciting new special events planned for this year including 50 Years in the Making and Arts❤️NRV. 50 Years will feature a collection of talented artists from across Appalachia, all performing on the same stage at the Moss Arts Center sharing their talents in blues, bluegrass, and more! Arts NRV will be held at the German Club and feature a juried art show, fashion show, and silent auction. In August, we will also bring back a community favorite, Heritage Day in Downtown Christiansburg.

These are just a few of the many things we are excited about as we forecast this year. We are a museum “growing with our community.” As our increasingly diverse community continues to grow, so must we in order to accommodate and serve the region at large. We are cognizant of our responsibility to steward the arts, history and culture of Montgomery County and the New River Valley.

Your generous membership will help support the Museum’s ability to preserve history and present art to the community. This institution plays a vital role in promoting local artisans and celebrating regional history, while also providing a platform and safe space for community conversations.

I thank you so much for your friendship and support for this growing institution and I wish you and your family prosperity and happiness.

Sincerely,

Casey Jenkins

(540) 382-5644

director@montgomerymuseum.org