'Blue Ridge Sunset 2' by Ray Byram
The William King Museum of Art, Abingdon, Virginia, has three major openings during the month of April.
“Points of Departure” presents a new body of work by renowned regional artist Charles Goolsby, recently retired as the chair of the Art Department at Emory & Henry University, Emory, Virginia. Goolsby’s work frequently emphasizes the strangeness and uncanny beauty of industrial forms juxtaposed with the natural world. He combines a faithful representation brushwork with a faithful representation of his subject. This exhibit runs from April 2 to Aug. 2.
Running from April 16 to Aug. 16 is “Light and Sanctity” by Ray Byram, an oil painter and printmaker originally from Elizabeth, New Jersey. Byram says when his son Sam was born with cystic fibrosis, he desperately sought solace and hope — and found it in his landscape painting. He has experimented with innovative techniques in both his oil paintings and his silkscreen prints.
Of special local interest is the exhibit, “Sanctuaries of Stained Glass,” which features stained glass windows from area churches. The exhibit displays photographs of selected windows, transferred to acrylic, then backlit to simulate natural light coming through the stained glass.
The churches, many dating to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, come from all over Southwest Virginia. There will also be a map of churches throughout the area that have interesting stained glass windows but are not included in the exhibit. This exhibit begins April 30 and runs until Nov. 29.
For more information about the exhibits and special events related to them, check out the website of the William King Museum of Art.
