2011 Fine Art and Photography


Fine Art and Photography highlights include the Juried Art Show, Youth Art Show, and Juried Photography Show. Exhibits at museums and galleries in Abingdon serve as a cultural mosaic - from photographs of trains to displays of traditional pottery and contemporary artwork.

The Festival also offers lectures and workshops in both fine art and photography.

2011 Juried Fine Art Show and Gallery

The Fine Arts Committee of the 63rd Annual Virginia Highlands Festival invites your participation and encourages your support of the Juried Fine Art Show and Gallery at the Arts Depot, Abingdon, Virginia. The gallery will be open to the public Saturday, July 23rd through Sunday, August 7th, 2011. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Entries will be accepted at the Arts Depot (behind the post office on Main Street in Abingdon) on: Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 2-5 p.m. and Sunday, July 17, 2011 from 2-5 p.m. All paintings must be a recent original and executed solely by the artist. Paintings should not include those accepted in previous years. Two paintings will be permitted from each artist. The entry fee must accompany the entry form. No paintings will be received or returned by mail. All works must be entered by the artist or designated agent.

Lecture and Awards Ceremony

The Awards Presentation along with a lecture and slide show presentation will be presented by Kathleen Noffsinger at the Abingdon Baptist Church, 361 W. Main Street, July 22nd, from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. Opening of Arts Depot immediately following lecture.

• Three Awards of Excellence $750 each
• Five Awards of Distinction $200 each
• Five Awards of Merit $100 each
• People’s Choice Best In Show Award $250.

During the first nine days of the Festival, visitors will be given a ballot to select their choice for Best in Show. This Award will be announced on Monday, August 1, 2011.

5 Day Watercolor Workshop with Juror and Instructor Kathleen Noffsinger

The five-day workshop for intermediate to advanced painters will be held Tuesday, July 19th through Saturday, July 23rd, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church. The fee is $350.00. $175.00 payable with application, the balance (175.00) due at the workshop.

This workshop was developed by award-winning artist Kathleen Noffsinger and draws its inspiration from color techniques used by Monet and the impressionists. Artists will work from their own landscape and seascape photos and learn how to use the impressionists painterly brush strokes and color choices with transparent watercolor to add a luminous factor to their paintings.

Individual and group critiques will conclude each day’s work. Advanced painters may bring one or more readyto-paint drawings with completed value sketches. The instructor will include lessons in composition, design and her 10 step checklist to better paintings.

Drawing and painting since childhood, Kathleen graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in elementary education, choosing classes in art and design for her electives. She has painted solely in watercolor since 1991 studying with several internationally known artists.

Kathleen is a member of the National Watercolor Society, a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society, Florida Watercolor Society, Mathews Art Group, Rappahannock Art League and the National League of American Pen Women.

Ed Chitwood Art Talks

Tuesday, July 26, 11:00 a.m. to Noon; Thursday, July 28, 11:00 a.m. to Noon; Tuesday, August 2, 11:00 a.m. to Noon; Thursday, August 4, 11:00 a.m. to Noon;
Arts Depot, 314 Depot Square
Admission is Free

For more information contact Linda Hamilton at 276-944-4227 or Jackie Dolpp, prettypennyfarm@netzero.com.

Photography Competition and Lecture Series








NEW LOCATION
Southwest Virginia Higher Ed Center
Daily, Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
Sunday 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

For more information contact Christopher Bradshaw at 423-956-1258 or by email.

Photography Competition Intake

Saturday, June 25, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Southwest Virginia Higher Ed Center, Room 103

Categories are Amateur, Proficient, Youth. Prints and fees may be dropped off at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Room #103.

Prints may also be mailed to:
Virginia Highlands Festival Office
Attn: Christopher Bradshaw
P.O. Box 801, Abingdon, VA 24212

Prints may not be dropped off at the office. Prints that are mailed must be received no later than June 25th to be submitted for entry.

Please attach an entry form to the back of each print in the upper right hand corner.

Make checks payable to Virginia Highlands Festival at the rate of $5.00 per entry for both adult and youth. Prints may be entered as proficient or amateur. Proficient is defined as anyone who derives more than 25% of their income from photography. Youth is open to photographers who have not reached their 13th birthday by June 1, 2011.

For more information contact Christopher Bradshaw at 423-956-1258 or by email.

Photography Competition Reception

Thursday, July 21, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Southwest Virginia Higher Ed Center Grand Hall

All entrants are asked to attend, and the reception is freely open to the public. For more information contact Christopher Bradshaw at 423-956-1258 or by email.

Photography Lectures

Behind the Scenes: Real Life Misadventures
of a National Geographic Photographer
Presented by: Bob Krist
Saturday July 23, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Grand Hall
Tickets are $15.00 and $10.00 for college students

A free gift card to all attendees of this lecture.

Tickets can be purchased online. For the discount code please email Chris from your school issued email address.

Bob Krist is a freelance photographer who works regularly on assignment for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Islands. These assignments have taken him to all seven continents and have won awards in the Pictures of the Year, Communication Arts, and World Press Photo competitions. During his work, he has been stranded ona glacier in Iceland, nearly run down by charging bulls in southern India, and knighted with a cutlass during a Trinidad voodoo ceremony. He won the title of "Travel Photographer of the Year" from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and again this year at the 2008 convention. In 2000 his work was honored at the Eisenstaedt Awards for Magazine Photography in New York City.

An accomplished writer as well as a photographer, Bob is a contributing editor at both National Geographic Traveler and Outdoor Photographer, where he writes a travel photography column. His how-to book Spirit of Place: The Art of The Traveling Photographer (Amphoto Books, NY) was hailed by American Photographer magazine as "the best book about travel photography we've ever read."

For more information contact Christopher Bradshaw at 423-956-1258 or by email.

Around the World in 180 minutes with Chris Duncan
Saturday, July 30, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Executive Auditorium
Tickets to this event are $5.00

Join Chris as you embark on a visually stunning trip around the world, from the scorching heat of Africa to the frigid cold of the Antarctic.

Chris Duncan has been photographing with SLR since 1981. His passion for photography has taken him all over the world in pursuit of images, including all seven continents and all fifty states. Nature and sports photography are areas that Chris specializes in, however travel, portrait, event, architecture, and wedding photography are also areas of pursuit and experience. A few of Chris's favorite photography locations in the US are Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Bosque del Apache in New Mexico, Yosemite National Park, Denali National Park, and of course the beautiful Mountain Empire area that he lives in. International destination picks that really stand out are more difficult, however Antarctica, South Georgia Island, Kruger National Park, and the Swiss Alps are very high on the list. Chris also teaches photography with a curriculum at Virginia Highlands College and individually tailored private classes. His passion for photography and sharing with others his experiences and techniques contribute to a fun, informative, and dynamic class

For more information contact Christopher Bradshaw at 423-956-1258 or by email.

The Parks of The Sierra Nevada Mountains
with Richard Siggins
Saturday, August 6, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Executive Auditorium
Tickets to this event are $5.00

Travel with Richard Siggins to the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and visit Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, a ghost town from the California gold rush days, and Mono Lake. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are home to the world’s largest trees, huge mountains, rugged foothills, and deep canyons. Yosemite National Park, one of the first wil-derness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you will discover deep valleys, grand meadows, a vast wilderness area, and an abundance of bears.

John Muir called Yosemite Valley "by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter." Walk with Richard down the deserted streets of Bodie, a genuine California gold-mining ghost town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. Bodie was known as a rough wild west town full of "Bad Men From Bodie". At the peak there were 65 saloons, daily fights and frequent murders. Mono Lake has some of the most unusual geologic formations that give it an "other worldly" feel. Richard will share his experiences vacationing in this beautiful and wild country through stories and prize winning photography.

Tickets can be purchased online. For more information contact Christopher Bradshaw at 423-956-1258 or by email.

Art Exhibits

David Underwood
June 7 through July 31
William King Museum
Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Students Free, Adults $5.00


Eternal Monuments, 2010

"I tend to think that several pictures are better than just one. Working with grids and multiple images allows me to expand the language of still photography beyond the limitation of single-frame imagery. Although my work is primarily formalist in approach, I am interested in how combinations of images work together both visually and thematically."
-- David Underwood

Underwood is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee, where he has been teaching art and photography since 1990. His work can be found in numerous permanent collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

For more information contact Leila Cartier, 276-628-5005, or by email.

David Underwood Artist Reception
June 7, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
William King Museum

Kristi Taylor
August 2 through September 4
William King Museum
Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Free Admission


Sunlit Tree no. 4 (48x48)

"Inspired by nature, light, and music. My style is influenced by twentieth-century color theorists and contemporary graphic design. I have become increasingly fascinated by the ability of color and light to alter our mood in a very natural way. In reaction, I paint to create positive environments with nature elements as a foundation."
-- Kristi Taylor

Taylor grew up in Bristol TN, and currently resides in Kingsport, TN. Taylor received a BFA from East Tennessee State University and her unique style of contemporary landscape has a freshness that continues to engage the eye and the imagination of viewers.

For more information contact Leila Cartier, 276-628-5005, or by email.

Kristi Taylor Artist Reception
August 2, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
William King Museum

Visions of Paradise: Paintings by Vander Zee
Inspired by travels to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
July 22 through November 6
William King Museum, United-Legard Galleries
Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Students Free, Adults $5.00


from Visions of Paradise

Virginia based painter Rob Vander Zee creates enchanted, fantastic worlds brimming with imagined plant life and mutant creatures. This ongoing series "Visions of Paradise" evolved from earlier explorations of the landscape and figure, and was initially inspired by his travels in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in 2009. Vander Zee's strange and beautiful flora and fauna reflect his interest in the future evolution of life forms. These works are parables for how science is reshaping life on earth, or as the critic Jonathan Goodman describes them, "scenes of a postnuclear landscape in which almost anything can happen."

For more information contact Leila Cartier, 276-628-5005, or by email.

Virginia Rocks!
The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth
July 1 through December 31
William King Museum, Price-Strongwell Galleries
On loan from the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum in Ferrum, Virginia
Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Students Free, Adults $5.00

Like a teacher pushed to the edge, rockabilly grabbed teenages by the ears in the early 1950s and kept shaking for nearly a decade. With Elvis Presley leading the charge, the music was powered by a driving bass, sharp up-front guitar licks, catchy teen-scene lyrics, and stage antics gushing with attitude. The rock 'n' roll revolution was officially underway.

Virginia Rocks: A History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth explores the careers of dozens of 1950s rockers from across the state. Most of them barely got beyond cutting a coupole of 45s and playing the high school dance, but a few -- such as Norfolk's Gene Vincent and Halifax County's Janis Martin -- held center stage on the rockabilly scene in the U. S. and aboard. John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Jeff Beck, and Bob Dylan have all paid tribute to Virginia's rockabilly greats. Objects will include rockabilly performers' costumes and musical instruments (even a pair of Elvis's shoes!), studio equipment, records, photographs, and video footage.

For more information contact Leila Cartier, 276-628-5005, or by email.

Paper Forest: An installation by
Travis Graves and Jackson Martin
April 22 through September 24
William King Museum, United Company Regional Art Gallery
Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thurs. 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Students Free, Adults $5.00


Installation proposal maquette for Paper Forest,
2010, brown kraft paper, burlap and wood shavings

Travis Graves and Jackson Martin (Johnson City, TN) create multi-media installations with materials ranging from dirt and plants to steel and video. These disparate materials together incite a diaolouge regarding our human footprint and its affect on the environment. Their installations tend to cross many genres by fusing Modernist sculpture, Earthworks, video and behind-the-scenes performance in order to call attention to the impact our consumer culture has on the world we live in. Without being overly didactie, the message from these two artists is clear. We must find a way to both embrace where we are culturally and technologically while also preserving and protecting the earth.

For more information contact Leila Cartier, 276-628-5005, or by email.

Nate Larson and Marni Shindelman: Geolocation
July 23 through September 9
The 1912 Gallery at Emory & Henry College
Festival Hours: Daily through Aug. 7, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Regular Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Free Admission


Nate Larson + Marni Shindelman
Geolocation (Location Thing for Twitter), 2009
Digital Chromogenic Print, 30" x 22"

In conjunction with the Virginia Highlands Festival, Emory & Henry College presents Nate Larson + Marni Shindelman: Geolocation, a solo exhibition of 18 contemporary photographs created by the collaborative team. Larson and Shindelman, have been working in collaboration since 2007. Their work largely explores the intersection of public and private communication. In their current Geolocation project, they track GPS coordinates embedded in each Tweet and pair the text with a photograph of the originating site to mark the virtual information in the real world. "Sometimes we follow the strangers who sent the Tweet for a day and other times for months, following the ups and downs of their posts."

The Tweet captions and images range in emotion from hilarity to surrender, from banality to the philosophical. The time when the Tweet was posted, however, has passed and the messengers remain anonymous. In all the photographs the most striking thing is the absence of people -- there is only the occasional glimpse of a figure escaping the frame.

For more information contact Marilyn Hower by email (before May 15). After May 15, Anita Coulthard at 276-944-6866, or email.


More 2011 festival event information will be added as it becomes available.


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