Various window art designs can be found at the Blacksburg Museum as party of the “My Window on Blacksburg” show put on by the Regional Art Association as a way to feature local artists.
The Regional Art Association is hosting a series of shows for local artist to share their perspective on their surroundings. The first show “My Window on Blacksburg” focused on what Blacksburg means to each artist.
BRRA embers Diane Relf and her husband, Dave Angle, conceived the idea of this art project to grace the lawn of the Blacksburg Museum located at the historic Alexander Blacks House.
Old window sashes of many shapes and sizes were made available to artists for free from Relf. Any medium could be used to convert the window into a statement about the town and the artist’s connection to it. The artwork would need to be able to withstand the August month of outdoor summer weather in downtown Blacksburg.
Relf and Angle built the supporting frames and installed them into the lawn of the Black House on July 27, 2017. Each frame has a placard with the artist’s name, artwork title and a summary of the artwork’s significance to the artist.
Gerri Young created “Happy Hollow Memories” with acrylic paint sealed with self-leveling gel of a farm scene on the seven panes of glass in a wooden frame. Young describes, “Features photos from childhood days on my grandparents’ farm on Happy Hollow Road…my memories of those days will be forever cherished by me.”
The Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation was created to spearhead the restoration of the Alexander Black House with the vision of creating a place of community, gathering, and learning. Its mission is to continue to build community in the Blacksburg’s living room and beyond.
In early August, the foundation’s executive staff received raving reviews along with requests to keep the windows as a permanent installment.
“The windows will stay at the Black House until next April. Then, decisions will be made by the artists,” Relf said. “Some will be used in other shows, some will be donated for a silent auction to raise money for the museum. Next year, a similar show will be held at the Montgomery Museum and Lewis Miller Regional Art Center.”
Relf urges aspiring artists, established artists and lovers of the arts to join the BRRA.
“Member has been a great help to me in meeting other artists, expanding my creative skills and learning about art in the New River Valley,” Relf said.
For more information, visit www.blacksburg art.org or www.blacksburgmuseum.org.
