An Inspiring Space

Ideas transcend into a thought-provoking exhibit by 12 local visionary artists at Festival Hall.

STORY BY MICHELLE VALIGURSKY

Paying homage to the wilds of Scottish birch forests, ‘Timorous Beasties Dare to Roam’ and ‘Mischief Mid the Foggage Green’ are diptych paintings by artist and author Michelle Valigursky, who works in acrylic, glazes, and ink.

Creating something beautiful from just an idea has long drawn people

to study works of art and photography and gain insight into their creation. Though artists may rely on the same types of paints, brushes, canvas, wood, metal, glass, and other raw materials, the mystique of a unique finished work is derived from each artist’s personal inspiration and vision.

In historic downtown Greensboro, Festival Hall cultural arts center showcases the work of a dozen local artists in a public exhibition of paintings, photography, and mixed media pieces. Festival Hall’s Executive Director Nicole Chillemi shares, “The artistic talent in our area is astounding, and we are privileged to showcase so many beautiful works this year to enhance our programming.”

‘Ooh-La-La Bicycle’ by photographer Lisa Wheeler is reflective of her work capturing images of rural Georgia with an emphasis on nature.

‘Still Life with Pears and Cherries,’ oil painting by artist Gail Vail. Vail has also published three coffee table books of poems, stories, and paintings. The first book, ‘Seasons on Lake Oconee’ contains writings from 23 local authors and paintings from 20 local artists. Her paintings have been featured in seven books, four of which showcased her work as the cover art.

Noted artist, art teacher, and storyteller, Gail Vail, has been painting most of her life. Working in oil, watercolor, acrylic, and ink, Vail is inspired to capture still life, flowers, landscapes, birds, and animals, many of which add to the beauty of the lake country. For the still life paintings on display at Festival Hall, Vail notes, “I am drawn to the color and the drama of light and shadows.”

Award-winning photographer and Greene County beef cattle farmer, Lisa Wheeler, shares images of rural Georgia with an emphasis on nature. Each of her photographs depicts a slice of life and invites conversation. Her work has been featured in the Abandoned Rural America traveling exhibit as well as in many museums. “Visitors will gain a new perspective on the beautiful area in which we live,” Wheeler says. She draws inspiration from her surroundings, noticing and capturing subtle changes in light and pattern.

Behind the Exhibit

With three distinct display areas throughout Festival Hall, planning and executing the installation required meticulous advance preparation. Architect and Artist Steve Kippels, whose paintings are featured, used his architectural skills, precise measurements, and AutoCAD software to generate the layouts for installation.

Kippels placed color images of the artwork to scale on the gallery walls. “I either group artworks thematically or juxtapose them for contrast,” Kippels shares. Participating artists say they appreciate the detailed instructions for painting placements. Kippels’ behindthe-scenes efforts help to ensure a smooth change-out of work for the exhibit. “The layouts are dimensioned to speed up the on-site installation process.”

View the Art at Festival Hall

Free of charge, this new exhibit at Festival Hall is self-guided. All works in the exhibition are for sale and are accompanied by information cards with the title, artist’s name, and price. The exhibit includes art by Vail, Wheeler, Kippels, Michelle Valigursky, Betsy Jenniges, Kay Cowan, Linda Dudley, Barbara Lewis, Frank Cassara, Monika Moser, Ulrich Moser, and Karen Arthur.

Located at 201 North Main Street in Greensboro, Festival Hall’s mission is to serve as a gathering space that enhances the range, quality, and accessibility of cultural arts in the Greensboro, Greene County, and Lake Oconee region. Chillemi encourages visitors. “Please drop in and enjoy this wonderful art exhibition,” she says. For more information, visit festivalhallga. com or call 762.243.8022.

Michelle Valigursky is a Greensboro artist and writer whose Impressionist work is balanced by expressionist natural abstracts. Her paintings, including Mendenhall Glacier abstracts and a diptych of a tranquil Scottish birch forest scene, are featured in the Festival Hall exhibit. To see more of her work, visit valigurskyfineart.com.

To execute an art installation of this scale requires meticulous planning. Pictured here is Architect and Artist Steve Kippels’ AutoCAD rendering of the Festival Hall reception area with detailed painting placements.

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