Submitted Photo
By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The Green Door Gallery opened its doors at 56 Ridge Road in Troutville on February 1. It will be holding an open house on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for members of the public to see the gallery and meet the member artists.
The cooperative art gallery includes nine artists, seven of which were members of Gallery by the James, the Buchanan-based gallery, before it closed its doors. The move and rebranding of the gallery was prompted when the owner of the space that was used for the Gallery by the James sold the building.
The decision to locate the new gallery at its 56 Ridge Road location was based on a desire to have it in a busy area of the county. The artists started looking for a location in November of 2019.
“It’s been very good so far,” Dan Jones, one of the artists, said.
The name for the gallery was based on the fact that the entrance door to the building is green.
The nine member artists at the Green Door Gallery are:
- James Ardery: He is a former member of Gallery by the James and lives in the Buchanan area of Botetourt County. He works in colored pencils, pastels, acrylics and photography. His subject matter for his paintings consists of outdoor life such as fishing, hunting, and wildlife as well as old trains, cars, and patriotic images. Ardery’s love of the outdoors is reflected in his fine art and he is a master at bringing his paintings to life. His work can be seen at Country Cupboard in Meadows of Dan and at shows throughout Virginia.
- Hazel Bowers: She lives in Eagle Rock and was a long-time member artist of the Gallery by the James. Bowers’ art consists of beautiful acrylic paintings on canvas, slate, driftwood, barn wood, and even on select pieces of furniture. Many of her pieces feature local landmarks and scenes well known to Buchanan and the local area.
- Keith Lynn Bullock: She is a new member of the Green Door Gallery. She lives in Roanoke and also paints as a member of the ArtVisions Gallery in Moneta. She discovered her love for the medium of watercolor at a young age, and more recently added pen and ink and acrylics to her interests. International travel and the thousands of photographs Bullock has taken while traveling serve as the inspiration for the majority of her paintings. Favorite subjects include time-worn architecture and the bountiful produce and wares found in the delightful street markets of Europe.
- Bobbie Caton: Caton alternates her time between her home in Roanoke and her cabin in Arcadia. She was a member of Gallery by the James since 2009. Her art features watercolors and alcohol-ink pieces. She said that she loves color and can paint abstracts as well as realistic pieces with great skill.
- Leah Coffman: Coffman lives in Fincastle and was a member of Gallery by the James. She works in watercolor, colored pencil, acrylic and oil. Her paintings and drawings are inspired by her love of horses and animals and rural country living.
- Dan Jones: Dan is a native of Botetourt and a retired family practice doctor in Daleville. He is a former member of Gallery by the James and also participates in Open Studios Botetourt, the Taubman sidewalk art show, the Bath County art show, and the Fincastle Festival Craft Show. His works are exhibited in corporate board rooms and calendars as well as national and regional magazines and private collections. His works are often printed on aluminum sheeting to display the brilliant colors. He has traveled extensively and his photos show his love of the mountains and rural countryside.
- Cassandra Knipp: Knipp is one of the newest members to the gallery. She has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. She is self-taught in acrylics but also adept in a number of other mediums. She also enjoys creating unique sculptures from recycled materials. Knipp has lived in Virginia almost her entire life. She also recently had the pleasure and honor of being asked to decorate and paint the walls of the feline enrichment room at the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection in Roanoke. Her art tends to focus on animals and landscapes with a special fondness for creating and depicting horses and dogs.
- Cheryl Lackey: Lackey grew up in Augusta County. Her work is influenced by her rural childhood in Augusta County as well as now living in Botetourt County. Her acrylic paintings feature local landmarks as well as old barns, churches, cows, and country scenes. She has been a member of Gallery by the James and shows extensively throughout Virginia.
- Susan McLaren: McLaren joined Gallery by the James in 2019 and was instrumental in establishing the new Green Door Gallery. She lives in Roanoke. After retiring as a registered nurse, she rediscovered her love of painting. Her primary art medium is watercolor; however, she enjoys exploring new media. She has taken many classes in watercolor technique. She has also illustrated a children’s book and is inspired by that experience to pursue creating more work in this difficult medium.
The gallery is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. It’s open on Sundays from 2-5 p.m.
