Announcing the 2025 Smith House Galleries Schedule

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV), known for providing memorable arts experiences through its Smith House Galleries, announces a 2025 schedule of 18 exhibitions featuring works by more than 225 artists. Admission is free for all exhibitions.

“These exhibitions by emerging and established artists represent diverse perspectives, and provide a variety of artistic mediums throughout the year,” said ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden, noting that works range from painting and photography to printmaking and pyrography.

The 2025 exhibition lineup (valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-exhibition-schedule) features:

January 3-31

• Pure Imagination. Paintings by Chito Padilla.
• Barely Contained Madness. Mixed media, painting works by Karla Britfeld.

February 7-28

• When I was Little: A Retrospective of Collegiate Artists and their Growth. Works in various mediums by JMU Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity students.
• Trees and Other Friends. Acrylic paintings by Billie Rosenberger.

March 7-28 – 9th Annual artVISION: Rockingham County Public Schools Youth Art Month Show, with works by approximately 100 K-12 students.

April 4-25 - Beyond the Classroom: Educator's Artistic Voice. Works in various mediums by members of the Blue Ridge Virginia Art Education Association.

May 2-30 – 5x5x25. Arts Council of the Valley invitational exhibition in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Twenty-five juried artists will each exhibit 25 5” x 5” works of art created between November 2024 and April 2025.

June 6-27

• Liminal. Acrylic on canvas works by Keith G. Mills.
• Seconds Between Time. Paintings by Peter Schnibbe.

July 3-25 (Note: Opening reception on Thursday, July 3)

• The Elephant in the Room. Mixed media works by Charlotte Shristi.
• The Souls of the Valley and Zambia/Africa. Photography by Mwizenge S. Tembo.

August 1-29

• Ouroboros. Pyrography works by E. Leary.
• Take a Walk on the Wild Side. Oil paintings by Agnieszka Elliott

September 5-26

• An Edom Hills Almanac. Pen and ink and Watercolor by Rebecca Souder Gish.
• Print Stories. Printmaking (lithography, screenprint, relief), collage by Katelyn Wood.

October 3-31

• Distorted Family. Acrylic, board, canvas, fabric works by Ver Ikeseh
• Modern Times. Oil paintings by Quillon Hall

November 7-December 13 – ACV’s 10th Annual Artist Member Exhibition, featuring works in a variety of mediums by Arts Council of the Valley Artist Members.

Opening receptions are held during First Fridays of the Valley, 5-7 pm at 311 South Main Street, Harrisonburg. Smith House Galleries is open Monday-Friday, 11 am to 4 pm, and each Second Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. Exhibition proposals received by May 15 will be considered for the following year’s schedule (valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-exhibition-proposals).

Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported, in part, by 2024 Cultivating the Arts Platinum Sponsors: Eugene Stoltzfus Architects, James McHone Jewelry, Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Matchbox Realty, and Riner Rentals.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, ACV is dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $510,200 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg, the Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Ann Leatherwood at Arts Council of the Valley.