Pattie Hale, new director of the Appalachian Arts Center in Richlands, Va.
RICHLANDS, VA - Appalachian Arts Center, a part of Southwest Virginia Community College (SVCC), is proud to announce Pattie Ann Hale as the new arts center director.
Hale is originally from Pine Creek in Russell County, Va., and now lives in the Greendale community of Abingdon. Growing up in Appalachia - in a place of rich mountain culture - Hale developed a passion for art, cultural awareness, unity in the arts, and the desire to build a bridge between people and the arts.
She is a spiritual painter and mixed-media artist. Her work is a juxtaposition of abstract and non-objective elements with realistic imagery. Hale uses individual, personal symbols and literary elements to tell a story that is often open-ended and universal, yet personal and intimate. She creates canvases, journals, and jewelry that are textural and full of color.
Hale creates from a need within her spirit. For her, painting and creating are like prayer – conversations with God. As a philanthropic artist, she has been involved in several community art projects, special gift collaborations, and murals. She has exhibited solo shows in galleries, community centers, and churches. Her art is collected both nationally and internationally.
She is a graduate of SVCC, where she studied arts and crafts production. In the early years of her arts career, she worked as the gallery director for the college. As a teacher, she has taught general and specialized art classes in various mediums including community art classes to children and adults through various avenues such as home-school groups, senior citizens' clubs, special honors and outreach programs. Hale worked as a layout/graphic artist for MorningStar Ministries and Publications and directed the MorningStar Art Gallery in Charlotte, N.C. She moved back to Southwest Virginia in 2009.
Hale says, "It's good to come back home and be a part of the arts in the Appalachian Mountains again. I love these mountains more than ever! I believe in the arts here. I believe in this region. I think there is a revival - a renaissance - rising up in these mountains. Many things are positively shifting. It involves many aspects, and the arts are some of the most important elements for reflecting our beautiful heritage and telling the story of our present and future transformation."
