Artists from Coast to Coast Exhibiting at FCCA

Artists from Coast to Coast Exhibiting at FCCA

FREDERICKSBURG, VA   Let art inspire you to journey cross-country, traveling east coast to west, up north and down south again, without ever going any further than downtown Fredericksburg. Throughout the month of November, the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts (FCCA) will host two new exhibits that will make such a trip possible.

The Frederick Gallery of the FCCA presents the National Juried Exhibit, “Light & Shadow,” opening October 28 and running through November 30. “Light & Shadow” features all types of media from painting to photography, graphite to pastel, collage, mixed media and much more. The show represents artists from coast to coast, including California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. This diverse collection will be juried by Anne Fletcher, Art Administrator for Capital One in Richmond, where she leads the development and implementation of Capital One’s Corporate Art Program in many of their facilities nationwide. She is responsible for the purchase and management of a permanent collection of more than 3,000 pieces of artwork, and also oversees the installation of more than 60 Rotating Exhibitions annually in Capital One campuses and facilities in Virginia, Texas and Canada. Fletcher earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts, with a Fine Arts/Painting Major and Communications Studies Minor, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA and a Masters of Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently a member of the Associate of Professional Art Advisors and serves as board president for Tricycle Gardens in Richmond, VA.

Experience a contemporary art exhibition with a Renaissance flair at the Members’ Gallery of the FCCA. Also opening October 28, “Ave, Patina” features the most recent works by Spotsylvania artist Patte Ormsby. Her newest paintings illustrate her interpretation of the visual mystique surrounding Renaissance holy paintings, even without the religious subject matter. Combining traditional materials with her own techniques for aging and oxidation, Ormsby’s paintings are built layer upon layer, manipulated to show through or melt away, and capture the patina of age. Each invites the viewer to consider what lies beneath and what came before, a convergence of past and present. Ormsby shares, “Few times in the history of art are as symbolically and visually compelling as that of the Italian Renaissance. This inspires my painting as I use elements of deep color, texture, gold leaf and pattern to present that sacred historical richness in a contemporary context. Using these elements in my paintings is my way of expressing the quiet solemnity and simmering energy of places that are sacred to me.”

A First Friday opening reception will be celebrated on November 2 from 6pm-8:30pm, featuring a Juror’s Talk by Anne Fletcher at 6pm when the winning artists from “Light & Shadows” will be revealed. The Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization and a partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Established 1963, the FCCA is located in the Historic Silversmith House, circa 1785, at 813 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg, VA. Admission is free to all exhibits, and the Center is open daily from noon to 4pm, Saturdays 11am to 4pm, closed on Tuesdays. Visit www.fccava.org or call (540) 373-5646 to learn more about FCCA exhibits, workshops, membership benefits and the many volunteer opportunities available.