Pocahontas Libraries Host Art Exhibit and Talk on April 11th

The Pocahontas County libraries are offering an artistic treat to residents and visitors in April.  Joe Miller, Director of Development for the libraries explains.

“We have put together a kind of multi-pronged project,” he said. “It starts with an exhibition of Vivian’s work; we will be showing some oil paintings and some watercolors here at the library.  That exhibition will spend a couple of weeks at each of the libraries and move around so people across the county get a chance to look.”

That would the work of artist Vivian Blackwood, who is well versed in watercolor and oils, among other artistic mediums. But it’s so much more than just an exhibition of her art.

“At each stop we’re going to do a couple of different things,” says Joe. “We’ll have a reception;  Vivian and I will talk about her work and about art generally.  The bit that I’m really excited about is that we’re also able to offer classes, so Vivian is going to offering watercolor classes at each branch and thanks to a grant we’re able to offer those classes for free.”

The first showing of the exhibit is Friday, April 11^th at the McClintic library in Marlinton.  It will then move every two weeks to a different branch – to Green Bank, then to H

illsboro, Durbin and finally, Linwood.  Vivian talks about the pieces that will be part of the exhibit.

“So the work in this exhibition is a collection of oil paintings and watercolors that I have been working on over the last three years since living in Pocahontas County,’ says Vivian. “While I usually focus on portraiture, these works are really inspired by experiences I’ve had in the outdoors here.  That was why my fiancé, Phillippe Willis, who’s also an artist, both of us moved here so we could focus on out art and be inspired by living in such an incredible place.  So this show if my humble attempt to try to capture some of the beauty of the region.”

Joe says the exhibit and classes are made possible through a grant from the West Virginia Dept of Arts, Culture and History, which also receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.  He said they’ve been working on this grant and planning for the exhibit since last August, so they are understandably excited

to finally see it come to fruition.  Vivian is very excited about the watercolor workshops.

“It’s going to be limited to 10 people per class,” she says. “Because of these grants we are able to offer it completely free for people, but they’re super-limited classes, so you much book and we’ll have the information up on the library website.”

“Vivian has offered classes before and I know several people who have taken them,’ says Joe. “And everyone has just raved about the classes. In addition to being a practicing artist, she spent a lot of time as an art educator.  She’s too modest to say this, but she worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art [MOMA] and the Guggenheim Museum, both in New York, before coming down here to West Virginia.”

“You absolutely do not need any prior experience,” she says, referring to the watercolor workshops. “I would encourage people who’ve never taken an art class in their life to come, as much as I would encourage professional artists or hobbyists, it’s for absolutely everyone.”

The exhibition, titled “Shadows on the Mountain” is from 6 to 8pm Friday, April 11^th at the McClintic Library in Marlinton.  An open arts discussion with Vivian is at 7pm.  For more information or to sign up for the free watercolor classes, you may contact the library at 304-799-6000 or online at pocahontaslibrary.org.