Sarah Raessler, the current artist featured in the Up Front Gallery of the Harrington Building, and her pastel teacher Christine Rooney joined us this week to share insight on Sarah’s history with art, what inspires her, and her process towards creating new work.   Sarah began her journey with art in September of 2003 when she joined Christine Rooney’s pastel class. “She came up with her own color combinations and what she wanted to draw,” said Rooney. “She knew right away what colors went together, and it was extraordinary the way she would put them together.”   All of the colors were a part of a family, to Sarah. “Sometimes I would give her a pastel that I knew wouldn’t be a part of that combination, and she’d say ‘no, no, that’s not it’.”   “I think in abstract ways, and [putting colors in families] helps me understand that,” said Raessler.   When asked about how she felt after finding out she would be showing at the Academy’s galleries, Sarah told us that she “was scared.”   “I’ve never been shown in the Up Front Gallery before.” But now, after selling 17 of her 25 pieces, she says “it’s […]

This month’s First Friday event will feature a special exhibit in the Up Front Gallery – a show centered around the concept of lost and found art, from contributors Ted Batt, Kevin Chadwick, Laura Morgan, Laura Sackett, Larry Bowden, Craig Wallwork, and George Dawson, among others. “This show is different in that the real focus here is on the stories of these pieces,” said Ted Batt, Director of Visual Arts at the Academy Center of the Arts. “[The pieces] have all been created, purchased, and then forgotten or discarded. A new life to them continues the story.” Craig Wallwork’s ‘Military Officer’ piece was purchased at the Potomac Auction House in 2008. “I was told this art piece was painted by none other than master forger Mr. Elmyr de Hory, a Hungarian. He forged paintings of Henri Matisse, Renoir et al. His artwork was so convincing he went undetected for years.” Some of his forgeries even hung in the many of the most impressive art museums and private galleries around the world before he was convicted of forgery and took his own life. A piece from Kevin Chadwick’s collection, from artist Gneushev Konstantin Grigorevich, also embodies the ‘lost and found’ concept. “What […]

So, if you have driven down Main Street in downtown Lynchburg in the last month, we are sure you have seen a lot of construction activity happening on our historic theatre. Well, that is not the only space in our facility getting improvements. Our front gallery is getting a major make over as well! This is thanks to an anonymous donor dedicated to bringing the visual arts to our community. Our art gallery shows are a staple of Lynchburg’s monthly First Friday and each month feature new shows and artists. Our Anne White Gallery (our “back gallery”) is a beautiful space with hard wood floors, white walls, and a painted tin ceiling. For a long time, our “front gallery” has lacked this wonderful aesthetic. As our Executive Director has said, “it looks like a 1970s bank.” It featured a green and beige carpet, old ceiling tiles, and wood paneled walls. The ceiling panels are being removed and the original tin ceiling is getting repaired and painted. The original wood floors are getting finished and the walls are going white to highlight the art that will hang on them. Our front gallery will now look like our beautiful Anne White Gallery. […]