Winter is approaching. Soon days will be short and nights long. We are inviting our guests to go up in the attic and dust off their scariest Halloween get-up and join us for the 4^th Friday reception and opening of new exhibits. There will be prizes for best costumes.

It’s not all scary stuff, as we are also inviting children (and adults love this too) to an artful scavenger hunt and pumpkin decorating activity. And the new exhibits will put you in the Halloween mood including:  Phantasmagorium by Chris Semtner, Spontaneous Markings by George Hughes, The Magical World of Little Lamzy Divy by Andrea Danner and the All Media Show with a Dark Art theme.

Please join us October 28^th, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. for the opening reception. Meet these extraordinary artists, enjoy live music, and celebrate with us with refreshments and libations benefiting RVA Thriving Artists.  Parking is free.

Phantasmagorium by Chris Semtner

Artist, author, and curator Chris Semtner may be best known as the horror and dark history expert who has appeared on PBS, BBC, American Heroes Channel, C-Span, and other networks and who has written articles for Biography.com, Crime Writers Chronicle, and other publications. His museum exhibits have been reviewed in The New York Times, Deep South Magazine, and other publications. In the midst of jurying and curating exhibits across the country and keeping a busy speaking schedule that has taken him to venues ranging from the Steampunk World’s Fair to the Library of Congress and as far away as Japan, Semtner continues to paint mesmerizing pictures informed by his years of research into things phantasmagorical, chimerical, and outré. The sources of his imagery are hazy memories, half-forgotten dreams, dusty old books, and seldom seen black-and-white movies.

The exhibit will be in the Jane Sandelin Gallery.

Spontaneous Markings by George Hughes

Raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Bedford County, Virginia, George Hughes developed a deep appreciation for nature. While earning his Bachelor of Arts from VCU, he was immediately struck with the tension between the urban environment and the rural atmosphere to which he was accustom. VCU introduced Hughes to a more expressive style of working that was spontaneous and free forming through impressionistic landscape. Hughes focused on the improvisational mark and vivid color. Hughes has traveled all over the country visiting National Forests that have inspired his work. The exhibit will be in the Corner Gallery.

The Magical World of Little Lamzy Divy by Andrea Danner

Andrea Danner knew she was an artist as a girl, winning the Smoky the Bear coloring contest at the age of five. Most of her artwork revolves around her love and passion for animals and nature. In her recent work which is made of paper mâché and paper clay, she focuses on bringing paper to life through fun and a bit of “magic”. Many of the materials she uses are repurposed and recycled, including old library book pages. Her whimsical creations bring her joy and laughter, that she shares with others.

The exhibit will be in the Skylight Gallery

DARK ART – OCTOBER 2022 ALL MEDIA ART SHOW

This exhibit is a focal point of all Art Works’ openings. It is a juried show with cash prizes and is open to all artists and all mediums. The theme is “dark art”. After all it is Halloween, and a spooky exhibit seems fitting.

Call for entries is September 23, 2022 – October 18, 2022. Submit your entries through our online form. Check our website for details on submitting your artwork:   artworksrva.com

Painting by: Sheri Lake