Smith House Galleries Features Two New Exhibitions February 7

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) introduces two new exhibitions at Smith House Galleries on February 7, with a reception 5-7 pm during First Fridays of the Valley. JMU Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity’s group show, When I Was Little: A Retrospective of Collegiate Artists and Their Growth, includes a variety of media by 11 artists; Billie Rosenberger’s solo exhibition, Trees and Other Friends, features acrylic paintings. Visit the opening reception to meet the artists, explore their work, and enjoy light refreshments.

With support from The School of Art, Design and Art History at James Madison University (JMU), the exhibitions are on view through Feb 28, with in-person visits Monday-Friday, 11 am to 4 pm and on Second Saturday (Feb 8), 10 am to 2 pm. Each exhibition will also be available online (valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-current-exhibition/).

The Gamma Kappa chapter of Kappa Pi - a co-ed International Honorary Art Fraternity - was founded at JMU in 1959 and is now the largest chapter of Kappa Pi in the nation. The members of Kappa Pi (including students from the School of Art, Design and Art History and the School of Media Arts and Design) pour their creativity into film and journalism, painting and textiles, and everything in between. The Kappa Pi artists featured in February are: Ollie Adams, Sirena Alvarez, Chloe Cameron, Kate Funk, Sidney Hale, Riley Mercado, Penny Naden, Dani Perry, Georgia Pinkston, Maya Sumile, and Achilles Vasquez.

The group shares that the featured exhibition at Smith House Galleries “is a collection of our past and our present. Each current piece is accompanied by an older work of the same artist, either from their childhood or high school experience. The pieces made by our younger selves serve as reminders of where we have been while the current works show us where we are now. Every great artist was once a novice, and we are no different. Instead of looking at our past creations with shame, we celebrate them, and through our exhibit, we hope to show you that inexperience is not failure. It is a chance for growth.”

Billie Rosenberger grew up just outside of New Market, VA in a house surrounded by forest on three sides, enjoying a childhood spent amongst the woods and creeks nearby. It comes as no surprise, then, that her favorite painting subjects are found in nature - particularly flowers and trees. As an adult in college and afterwards, Rosenberger pursued her love of art through various classes in painting, pottery, photography, and stained glass before she settled on painting, favoring water-based media.

Through painting, Rosenberger aims to experience and enjoy the quiet and beauty of nature; to share this joy with others; to play with color; to use her hands; and to infuse her work with whimsicality. Rosenberger’s works in this exhibition feature trees, landscapes, cloudscapes, and water depicted on different types of watercolor papers, recycled doors and luan, wooden cubes, and canvas.

Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by ACV 25th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor Kathy Moran Wealth Group, and 25th Anniversary Visionary Sponsor 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 Martha Hemingway at Arts Council of the Valley.