Local College Galleries Kick-off Their Seasons

Roanoke College’s Olin and Smoyer galleries, and the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University have kicked off their 2009-2010 seasons with a series of exhibitions. Closing this Friday at Olin (Oct. 9) is an exhibition by Roanoke photographer Sarah Hazelgrove, who was a winner at the recent WVTF Public Radio juried art show.

From October 30 through December 11 the Olin and Smoyer galleries will present a “polychromatic series” from Margaret Evangeline, and works from Rob Tarbell, who examines the effect of smoke on paper – think Rorschach test.  Tarbell will give a lecture on October 29.

“It’s all about exploring the immediacy of the moment,” said gallery director Talia Logan. “Both of these artists do that.” Evangeline uses stainless steel panels that she riddles with bullets from various firearms, turning the results into works of art. “[Tarbell’s] series starts with taking personal objects that he wanted to destroy and burning them. He then lets it resonate on paper,” adds Logan. The Tarbell pieces are large, approximately 2’ by 4.’

From January 15 – February 26 the Roanoke College fine arts faculty show and an adjoining exhibit from Roanoke College alumna Harriett Stokes will take center stage. Stokes is a well-known painter in the area. “This is the first faculty art show in five years,” notes Logan.

Meanwhile at Hollins, sculptor Betty Branch’s retrospective opened to packed lectures and continues until mid-December. In January, Fiona Ross and her site-specific “Walking the Parallels to Terminus” moves in from the 7th through the 30th; Ross creates works on walls and other surfaces with one long movement, not picking up her ink pen until she is done.

Site-specific work “is unique to the institution,” notes Wilson director Amy Moorefield, who calls Ross’s work “fascinating to watch.” Ross will use her own body silhouette as a jumping off point.

February 11- April 17 at the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum brings “When Janey Comes Marching Home – Portraits of Women Combat Veterans,” which combines photographs and interviews exploring the pop culture and myths about women in the service.  The traveling exhibition is a “wonderful pairing between art and oral history,” said Moorefield, who calls the photos “very striking.”

Next March 12th through April 9th, local artist and teacher Brian Counihan returns to Roanoke College with “Paraphernalia for the Passage,” while at Hollins, artist-in-residence Stanley Lewis will exhibit from Feb 11- April 17.

Logan and Moorefield are working on a joint project for the 2010-2011 season featuring artist Jim Campbell, hoping that leads to other collaborations in the future. (See hollins.edu and Roanoke.edu for more information about the art galleries and upcoming exhibits.)