Join us at Art Works as we celebrate our 21st anniversary with a month filled with intriguing exhibits, and a lineup of events including the popular 4th Friday reception, artist meet-up, figure drawing sessions, and an artful scavenger hunt.
Can't make it to an event? No worries, we are open daily (except Mondays) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for you to enjoy the new art on display. Convenient parking is available at the public garage on East 5th Street, and we'll validate your ticket.
Extend your visit by exploring nearby restaurants like Stock, Continental, Pig and Brew, Jubilee, Iron Clad Pizza, Café Zata, and The Gold Lion for a delightful meal. Join us for a day of creativity, art, and delicious food!
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4th Friday, September 27 at Art Works.
Our 21st anniversary calls for cake and champagne—a great celebration of art in the community. Please join us on September 27th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the opening reception of new art shows. Meet the artists and enjoy live music, refreshments, and libations sponsored by RVA Thriving Artists.
The fall art scene is buzzing with creativity and innovation as three talented artists showcase their solo exhibitions, each exploring unique themes like repetition, simple pleasures, and the ever-changing nature of life. Joshua Leland Yurges delves into the concept of everything that ever was and still is, Rebecca Visger captures the essence of enjoyment from snack food to charcuteries, and Crystal James reflects on embracing the present amidst life's constant evolution.
Meanwhile, RJ Barber takes us on a thrilling journey with his exhibit, Alien Arrivals, offering a glimpse into interactions with extraterrestrial beings. Three long-time friends and colleagues, Tom Adair-Luke, Jim Brown, and Gregg Carbo present a retrospective of their work. Additionally, the monthly All Media Show promises a diverse and eclectic mix of topics, styles, and mediums.
The exhibits continue through October 19, 2024, except for Joshua Leland Yurges’ show which continues through November 16, 2024. The event is free and open to the public. Don't forget, parking is also free. Come and join us for a night of art and celebration. Then have dinner at one of the restaurants in Manchester.
Exhibits September 27 – October 19, 2024
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What Once Was, Still Is, Just Different by Joshua Leland Yurges
Think about it. Everything that ever was on earth is still here—fascinating. The 130-140 million people born each year—all matter, changing shape—a constant evolution of material.
Joshua Leland Yurges asks us to consider two stories in his life: a young person working with his dad, everyday learning carpentry—the tools, the wood. Then 20 years later, working at Whole Foods—in the prepared food department baking bread in hotel pans and baking sheets.
A lady I worked with wanted the food to be cut in the pans the same way, every time, by everyone. After a few people failed to follow verbal directions, she drew a diagram for all employees to view and initial. Three cuts down, seven cuts across. 32 evenly cut pieces, every time. This was the beginning of a series “32 Pieces of Pie” that I am still trying to get right 11 years later.
Yurges cites these instances because they both help feed his desire to create work that has a repetitive act. He enjoys the meditative process of pattern in the many ways it can manifest; stripes, a series of boxes, making the same cut five hundred times in a row.
Life is always providing material and ideas for me to use and expand upon. It is my job to see the spark, make the connection, and explore what could be. Never stop being curious.
The exhibit will be in the Jane Sandelin Gallery. This exhibit continues through November 16, 2024.
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Nothing is Static. Even the Mona Lisa is falling apart by Crystal James
Crystal James’ art delves into the themes of youth and beauty, food, and death.
Youth and beauty are often seen as synonymous, but beauty goes beyond the surface level. When depicting youthful subjects Crystal captures the essence of the subject’s innocence, curiosity, and wonder. Crystal celebrates the beauty that comes from living in the present moment, unencumbered by the weight of past experiences.
Death becomes a prominent theme in our lives as we grow older with an awareness of our mortality. Food is a reminder of this reality; life is sweet but short. Through her art, Crystal explores the bittersweet nature of this cycle, celebrating the joy of food while acknowledging that we will not live forever.
Ultimately, Crystal’s art is a meditation on the impermanence of life, and the beauty that can be found in every stage of the journey. Through her depictions of youth, beauty, food, and death, she inspires viewers to be present in the moment, and to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world around them. This exhibit will be in the Centre Gallery.
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Little Pleasures by Rebecca Visger
Rebecca Visger’s Little Pleasures is a series of acrylic still-life paintings that celebrate the pleasure of food and drinks. From gas-station snacks to artisanal cheese plates and charcuterie boards, these paintings showcase a range of indulgent foods that are not consumed for practical purposes but for pure enjoyment. The exhibit serves as a lighthearted reminder that sometimes it's okay to indulge in the simple pleasures of life. The still-life paintings are largely realistic in style, but with playful subversions in composition, scale, and color scheme. We invite you to join us in this celebration of food and the joy it brings. The exhibit will be in the Corner Gallery.
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Alien Arrivals by RJ Barber
RJ Barber has always been a Sy-Fy fan and enjoys the idea of the Aliens as a Cultural phenomenon as much as a scientific reality. He started a project, Alien Arrivals cartoons when the COVID quarantine went into effect. It was a way for him to stay in touch with my friends. He mailed six original postcard designs each year to his mailing list. Barber enjoys the idea of retro artwork as Snail Mail and apparently, so do others. For this exhibit there will be an interactive component where visitors will be able to mail postcards. He explains his inspiration and process:
H.G. Wells was the English Author who touched off the idea of Alien Invasions in popular culture in his 1896 novel, The War of the Worlds. Science Fiction took off in America with the Roswell sightings in 1947. The government coverup probably did more to popularize the genre than any other factor. The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 meant that everyone had a camera with them and the number of UFO sightings exploded!
We haven’t had a revelation of the existence of the Aliens as in The Day the Earth Stood Still, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation on who or what the Aliens might be!
The inspiration for his drawings comes from petroglyphs from all over the world, particularly the ones from the Australian Outback that depict the Dream Time of the indigenous peoples.
One set of rock paintings in Kimberly, Western Australia spoke to me and would not leave my head. I drew them obsessively for two months until they morphed into my cartoons you see today. My premise is that the Aliens have been sent to try to figure out what these crazy hom*o Sapiens are doing! The Aliens mean no harm, but they are agents of Chaos and wherever they appear, pandemonium ensues. Through the Aliens, I am able to comment on the human condition as a third-party observer. I have always been a storyteller and the artwork and the Adventures of the Lil’ Blue Aliens are linked together. I enjoy the ironic humor of the Aliens trying to make sense of human behavior and I hope you will too!
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Tom Adair-Luke, Jim Brown, and Gregg Carbo are friends and colleagues with a common thread of a love for art. They will be sharing a retrospective of their art in the Port Gallery II from August 23 through September 20th.
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All Media Art Show
This exhibit is a focal point of all Art Works’ openings. It is a juried show with cash prizes and is open to all artists and all mediums. Call for entries is August 15th - September 16, 2024. Submit your entries through our online form. Check our website for details on submitting your artwork: Call for Entries
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More Events at Art Works in September
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Figure Drawing Sessions
Join us for live figure drawing sessions the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month from 1 pm – 4 pm at Art Works. Hosted by RVA Thriving Artists. Click here for information.
RVA Thriving Artists Monthly Meet-up
It’s a meet-up. Network with other artists, exchange ideas, have a beverage, and chill.
Location: Benchtop Brewing
September 19, 6 pm – 7 pm.
