A! Magazine for the Arts

William Fields' "Bread of Life" is acrylic on burlap and is part of the "From  these Hills" exhibit.

William Fields' "Bread of Life" is acrylic on burlap and is part of the "From these Hills" exhibit.

Biennial exhibit celebrating regional arts is at William King Museum

September 26, 2021

William King Museum of Art celebrates the diversity of regional artists with the 15th anniversary of its biennial exhibition, “From These Hills: Contemporary Art in the Southern Appalachian Highlands.” This major exhibition of new works by artists working in all media highlights the continuing artistic vision of individuals in the region. The 2021 exhibition opens at William King Museum of Art in Abingdon, Virginia, Sept. 30 and continues through Feb. 6, 2022.

Every other year, selected works from a number of artists are carefully chosen by a guest curator. Selected artists for the 2021 exhibition include Betsy Bannan, Carla Taylor, Carrie A. Dyer, Cavan Fleming, David Underwood, Devin Mitchell, Gary Mesa-Gaido, Halide Salam, Heather Fleming, James Veenstra, Jean Hess, Jeff Chapman-Crane, Jennifer Cox, Jonathan Adams, Joshua White, Ju Yun, Kevin Beck, Kirsten Stolle, Kris Rehring, Laura Ann Schroeder, Mike Ousley, Ray Stratton, Sally Brogden, Simone Paterson, Torrance Redford, Virginia Derryberry and William Fields.

This year, William King Museum of Art is honored to be hosting “From These Hills” guest curator Michael Rooks. Rooks has served as the Wieland Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, since 2010. Rooks served as commissioner and co-curator of the U.S. Pavilion at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, in 2010 and is an independent art writer. Prior to joining the High, Rooks held curatorial positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu; and the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that fully vaccinated people wear a face covering for indoor settings. Therefore, all staff and visitors to the museum, regardless of vaccination status, will be expected to wear masks. For outdoor events, this policy will apply to unvaccinated visitors and is recommended for those fully vaccinated.

William King Museum of Art is open seven days a week: Monday through Wednesday and Friday and Saturday from 10 am. to 5 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. For information on exhibitions or events at William King Museum of Art visit williamkingmuseum.org or call 276-628-5005.

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