The Frescoes of the
High Country
‘The Last Supper,’ as depicted by artist Ben Long inside the Holy Trinity Church, located in Glendale Springs. BY CHANDA RICHARDSON
D
ating back longer than 2,000 years, the frescoes have become a staple of the arts within the High Country. From the Last Supper, the Mystery of Faith to works from the area’s very own
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Ben Long, it isn’t hard to see the hard work and care that has been built into these pieces. In Ashe County sits St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, located at 400 Beaver Creek School Rd. in West Jefferson, and it offers more than fulfilling works by Long.
Growing up in Statesville, Long became passionate about fresco painting and hasn’t looked back since. The frescoes take a lot of time and concentration as the artist presses pigment into wet plaster, rather than painting normally onto a white canvas. The art then becomes bonded with the plaster
PHOTO BY ANDREW COLE
and produces a surface that is then resistant to time when it hardens, making these beautiful paintings last a lifetime. In October 2021, Ben Long was subject of a feature novel called “The Ashe County Frescoes of Benjamin F. SEE FRESCOES ON PAGE 113
WINTER TIMES 2021
