The Augusta County Historical Society
The Augusta County Historical Society Presents
“Artists Everywhere: Dwight ‘Joe’ Bell and Valley Artists”
Exhibit Opening Reception: Thursday, Feb. 19 from 5-7 p.m. (Reception and Exhibit are free and open to the public)
Location: History Gallery, R.R. Smith Center for History and Art 20 S. New Street Staunton, VA
Exhibit is open until early June. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 1-4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Once again, the Augusta County Historical Society brings to life an art exhibit with a delightful twist of history, focusing on some of the more unique art that has arisen in the area through its newest exhibit: “Artists Everywhere: Dwight ‘Joe’ Bell and Valley Artists.”
Art and artists come in many forms, with different mediums and techniques. Given the same palette of colors, no two artists will come up with the same creation. And so it is with the art that you will see in this exhibit featuring the work of Joe Bell and complemented with other pieces that channel an inner vision and raw creativity rather than intensive art training.
Dwight “Joe” Bell (1918-2004) was known for his hand-carved whirligigs and simple but vibrant colored pencil drawings, many of which are on display in the new exhibit. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the art of other Valley artists, who channeled their inner creativity rather than sitting in art class, including folks such as Grandma Moses and Willy Ferguson. The former, who lived with her farm family for two decades in Augusta, became a national sensation because of her primitive folk art paintings, while the latter gained renown for his giant steel sculptures such as the watering can at Staunton’s underpass.
For more information, contact the Augusta County Historical Society at adminachs@augustacountyhs.org / 540-248-4151, visit us at www.augustacountyhs.org, or find us on Facebook.
Augusta County’s history is America’s history.
Here in the county that once stretched west to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes…Native Americans clashed with pioneers opening the frontier…Revolutionary War patriots helped secure their nation’s liberty…America’s agricultural revolution began…a future U.S. President was born…Civil War armies vied for control of a state…and great artists shaped their vision.
Indeed, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Cyrus McCormick, Woodrow Wilson, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson all played important roles in our history, but so did Grandma Moses, George Caleb Bingham, Kate Smith, John Coalter ,and William Sheppard. Daniel Boone visited kinfolk here, Santa Anna stopped here, Charles Lindbergh landed here, Erwin Rommel studied here, and Billy Sunday preached here. Even history’s great names like Eisenhower and Lincoln traced their ancestral homes to this county. And, we cannot tell a lie – George Washington slept here.