Current Exhibit
“Artists Everywhere: Dwight ‘Joe’ Bell and Valley Artists”
Once again, the Augusta County Historical Society brings to life an art exhibit with a delightful twist of history, focusing on some of the more unique art that has arisen in the area through its newest exhibit: “Artists Everywhere: Dwight ‘Joe’ Bell and Valley Artists.”
Art and artists come in many forms, with different mediums and techniques. Given the same palette of colors, no two artists will come up with the same creation. And so it is with the art that you will see in this exhibit featuring the work of Joe Bell and complemented with other pieces that channel an inner vision and raw creativity rather than intensive art training.
Dwight “Joe” Bell (1918-2004) was known for his hand-carved whirligigs and simple but vibrant colored pencil drawings, many of which are on display in the new exhibit. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the art of other Valley artists, who channeled their inner creativity rather than sitting in art class, including folks such as Grandma Moses and Willy Ferguson. The former, who lived with her farm family for two decades in Augusta, became a national sensation because of her primitive folk art paintings, while the latter gained renown for his giant steel sculptures such as the watering can at Staunton’s underpass.
Upcoming Exhibit
“Zechariah Johnston: Augusta’s Forgotten Founding Father”
“Zechariah Johnston: Augusta’s Forgotten Founding Father” is an exhibit in commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. Born in 1742, Johnston was a local representative in the Virginia House of Delegates for 20 years. He was instrumental in helping Virginia to pass the Act for Establishing Religious Freedom and for his important contributions to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Opening date: TBD
Past Exhibits
“Voices from the Blue Ridge Tunnel: When Men Were Machines”
The exhibit includes historic materials compiled by Mary Lyons, who has researched and documented the lives of tunnel workers for many years. She’s provided extensive accounts by and about both the Irish and enslaved men who built the tunnel and Blue Ridge Railroad. She’ll be at the opening reception, with signed copies of her books available.
The central theme of much of Lyons’ work and the exhibit is that the laborers were, and still are, too easily forgotten in the public memory. To put the circumstances of the Irish laborers in context, Lyons provided copies of the Illustrated London News with scenes from Ireland’s Great Hunger, 1845–1852.
To view an online version of one of the exhibit’s interactives, click here. Note that this will open in a new tab or window.
“Jonesboro: A Forgotten Community, Swoope, Virginia”
Jonesboro located near Christians was a community once located in Swoope Virginia, Augusta County along what now is Scott-Christians Road on Rippetoe Lane. The community was founded in 1878 with an original area of sixty-three acres and was thriving until about the mid 1950s. The community contained a church/school, a tavern, and cemetery. The community is thought to have had seventeen homesites. The community now lays in ruins and is slowly disappearing.
To view an online version of of this exhibit, click here. Note that this will open in a new tab or window.
