Women of WV Art Expo Is March 18
Fairmont State University Student Government is sponsoring the fourth annual Women
of West Virginia Art Expo 2008 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, on the second
floor of FSU's Falcon Center.
A wide range of art by Fairmont State students, alumni, staff and community members
will be on display. Some artists will offer pieces for sale. As part of the event,
there will be a lunch-time concert featuring Shannon Jones. Light refreshments will
be served. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call (304)
367-4643.
"The event will be filled with powerful female art and warm fellowship," said Laurie
Johnston, Director of Student Activities.
Featured artists will be Chelsey Adams, FSU student, pottery and oil paintings; Sara
Bean, FSU alumna, mixed media paintings; Kimberly Cook, FSU student, drawings; Judy
Chrihfield Wilson, FSU alumna, paintings and photos; Tina Del Prete, jewelry; Morgan
Ford, FSU student, charcoal drawings and abstracts; Carol Freeman, quilted wall hangings;
Heather Gurash, FSU student, drawings and etchings; Patricia Hoffman, sculpture; Virginia
Jocobin, stained glass; Jo Ann James, fabric art; Kadra Kramer, monotypes and oil
paintings; Teresa Palmer, FSU staff, stained glass; Nancy Rice, wood carvings; Elizabeth
Shroyer, FSU student, painting and photography; Natasha Turner, FSU student, painting
and drawing; Valerian Wentzel, FSU student, paintings; Christy Wood, FSU student,
photography and pottery; Jennifer Yerdon, FSU staff/faculty, drawing; Micah Zbach,
FSU student, photography, painting and sculpture.
Following is biographical information submitted by the artists:
Chelsey Adams
Chelsey is a senior at Fairmont State University. She is majoring in French and minoring
in Studio Art with concentrations in painting and ceramics. Her work has been published
in the 2006 edition of Whetstone and was included in the 2006 FSU Student Juried Art
Exhibition. She is the president of Café, which is FSU's French club, and a member
of Kappa Pi International Honorary Art Fraternity.
Sara Bean
Sara is a 29 year old native of West Virginia and a 2003 Fairmont State graduate.
She works with a variety of traditional media including oils, acrylics and watercolor.
Lately she has been experimenting with sculpture. Her preferred genres are fantasy
and the supernatural; her works are best described as dream-like and expressive.
Kimberly Cook
"I was born and raised in southern West Virginia, in a small town called Piney View,
where living is easy and good times come often. My father passed when I was two and
my brother was five, so much of my inspiration to draw came from my astonishing mother.
She always encouraged me to be the best that I can be, so now I am 20-years-old and
attending Fairmont State in order to be a Veterinary Technician. I had planned on
being an art major, yet my love for animals and the thought of saving their lives
invigorates me. So, I draw in my spare time in order to escape from everyday life.
Most of my inspiration comes from the great outdoors, where God's work is at his finest.
The freedom stimulates my senses, allowing me to imagine scenes outside of the box.
Also, my art teachers always encouraged me to draw whatever I wanted. God, love, stress,
nature, society-- so many things play a role in who I am, and how I live my life.
Through my artwork, I try to let my imagination run wild, and my dreams come alive."
Judy Kay Crihfield Wilson
West Virginia has been a wonderful blessing for her as it is her inspiration to continue
to create. Always willing to try something new led her in the path of various media,
the strongest being watercolor. Pamala Williams instructed her as a child through
high school at Hundred, W.Va. She studied under Fairmont State's finest professors.
She was a full-time student at Fairmont State College from 1984-1987. Employment opportunities
took her to Ohio, but she has continued with her education through the years. She
has dabbled in writing, computers, photography and painting with all kinds of media.
She has tutored privately and demonstrated to adults and children. She's done demonstrations
for Mandy's Artworks and MAA gallery of Morgantown. She has also held watercolor seminars
with course outlines. In 2004, while in the process of doing a mural for a personal
client, she fell ill and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that attacked her
nervous system- Grave's disease. In 2006, she began to worsen and other deficiencies
have followed. Through this time, she has worked out of her own studio and outdoors
and with personal clients. Her passion, watercolors, offers her a sense of movement
that spiritually awakens her. Watercolors let her be spontaneous and inventive. She
is an experimental person and so are most of her works. Her goal is to keep inspiring
her audience.
Tina Del Prete
Residing three decades among many artisans and musicians in Doddridge County, Tina
Del Prete has many interests including but not limited to quilting, basket making,
cross stitch, music, dance and organic gardening. Free in spirit and grounded in thought,
her days are always filled with the celebrations of life's enjoyable gifts. In 1994,
under the tutelage of Susan Kraft of Kraftworks Studio, she learned to assemble jewelry
and Tina's Treasures was born. Using natural gemstones, glass seed beads, colored
glass as well as various metals, Tina`s jewelry is sure to please. Living close to
the earth has brought joy, achievement and artistry that her jewelry invokes.
Morgan Ford
Morgan Ford is a Fairmont State University student. She is currently majoring in
Art Education and this is the first showing of her work. Morgan began art at a very
young age and progressed without any formal art classes until this past semester.
Her works deal with her interests and are usually experimental and accidental. She
pulls her inspiration from what she has seen and what she has learned from important
lessons, whether they be academic or life. After starting out with just pencil and
paper, she is now experimenting with new media such as acrylic paint, pastels and
charcoals. She invites you to share in her life's lessons and relate to the mood and
feel that each piece portrays.
Carol Freeman
Carol Freeman has recently established a home and studio in Clarksburg. In addition
to designing and constructing hand-dyed garments for Shibori West, she focuses on
combining color and pattern in the creation of art quilts. One of her creations won
Best Original Design in the 2001 Vandalia Gathering Quilt and Wall Hanging competition
sponsored by the WV Division of Culture and History. Carol also enjoys collaborating
with nature in the garden, and she loves to dance.
Heather Nichole Gurash
"I am a freshman at Fairmont State University, majoring in business. I grew up here
in Fairmont with my parents, Dan and Jani and brother Eli. I have always had an interest
in art and have enjoyed doing artist activities. My two pieces have a distinctive
theme. The larger, pencil art piece is a collage of different objects and patterns.
It focuses on shadows and shading. The second piece is a metamorphosis of a tennis
ball in a box to a tennis ball and racquet. My inspiration came from the game of tennis
and other appealing patterns. I love constructing artwork, but I can definitely be
a perfectionist sometimes, which may not be such a bad thing."
Patty Hoffman
"I first enrolled at Fairmont State in the fall of 1975. After a semester, I decided
to join the Marine Corps. Eight years later, I came back home to rise my two daughters
after a failed marriage. I enrolled in accounting with a minor in art. I graduated
in the spring of 1985 and married my husband the next day. Six years ago, I stopped
in to see an old art instructor, and he gave me a bag of clay. I have done over 25
sculptures since then. They are all made from terra cotta and about 12 inches tall.
Most of them were given to friends as presents, although I have done several commissioned
pieces. I get the inspiration for these sculptures from praying and asking God for
direction. I get incredible joy out of working with my hands. To be able to touch
someone, to move them, means a lot to me."
Virginia Jacobin
Virginia is the mother of another Women of WV artist, Teresa Palmer. Virginia has
been doing stained glass for many years. She has taught stained glass classes at the
vocational technical school here in Fairmont. Virginia shared the love of art and
the joy of teaching stained glass to students with her husband of many years before
he passed on. She has continued to teach the classes in the fall and spring terms.
JoAnn D. James
JoAnn is from Bridgeport, WV, retired from Hope Gas (Dominion) in 2000, from Allegheny
Power in 2003. She is currently employed as a substitute teacher for Harrison County
and is the sole proprietor of J's Stitchery, a small sewing business operated out
of her home. JoAnn has always had a passion for sewing and now enjoys creating various
craft items, quilts, specialty clothing, monogramming and doing alterations. J's Stitchery
specializes in a variety of unique gift items and special order items. JoAnn studied
Home Economics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Howard University and earned
a B.S. in Home Economics and Social Science from Seton Hill College, Greensburg, Pa.
She also earned a Masters in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,
Pa.
Kadra Kramer
Kadra Kramer is a native of Elkins, W.Va., and graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan
College. Along with creating oil paintings, monotypes and intaglio prints, Kadra has
been teaching various art workshops and classes in Randolph and Upshur counties for
the past five years. She currently instructs at the Randolph County Community Arts
Center as well as The Mountain Institute's Outdoor Education Program for Randolph
County elementary students. Kadra was one of the few recipients of the Mollohan Foundation's
Mary Olive Eddy Jones Scholarship for excellence in art and has exhibited at the Mollohan
Innovation Center in Fairmont; Sleeth Gallery in Buckhannon, W.Va.; and the Randolph
County Community Arts Center in Elkins, W.Va. Specializing in creating oil monotypes,
Kadra focuses on creating images of historical architecture and landscape. Monotype
printmaking is a unique way of transferring an image painted on Plexiglas to paper
creating a single one-of-a-kind piece of artwork and is often described as the perfect
marriage of painting and printmaking. She recently opened The Blue Door Studio in
downtown Elkins, which houses a Conrad C-25 printing press - available to area artists
and students during open studio times, classes, and workshops- as well as Kadra's
latest painting and printing projects. She also displays her work at Artists at Work
and Mainline Books on Davis Avenue in Elkins.
Teresa Palmer
"I have dabbled with stained glass at my parents' house in their basement for some
time now. They taught stained glass classes at the vocational technical school here
in town and I would go help sometimes. When I would see what the students were making,
I would say to my dad, "I want to make that too," so they would help me with my projects
also. I have a lot of glass in my house from windows in my bedroom and an entry door
to cabinet doors in my kitchen; I also enclosed my fireplace with a large window.
This is very time consuming and I try to make a little something for friends at Christmas
as gifts and they just love it."
Nancy Rice
"I am a wood carver specializing in wildlife of West Virginia. My carvings are from
native West Virginia hardwoods, such as red or white oak, cherry, ash, walnut, beech,
birch. Pieces are in private collections and public areas such as lodges and state
parks throughout West Virginia and the U.S. Products have included: pictures, mirrors,
window valances, fireplace mantles, cabinet doors, front doors, headboards and complete
beds. I use wood as a medium for my art because it brings the forests and wildlife
into the everyday world of people."
Elizabeth Shroyer
"I am a senior at FSU graduating in May with a bachelor's degree in history. I have
been interested in art since I was in high school. I started out doing paintings,
such as cubism and hard edge, but more recently I have been aiming my focus toward
photography. I like to take pictures at weird angles and of things that most people
wouldn't think to take pictures of. Some of the ugliest things can turn out beautiful
through the eye of a camera."
Natasha Turner
Natasha is currently a senior at Elkins High School. Art has always been a passion
for Natasha. In the past few years she has progressed from pencil drawing to a wide
array of painting and printmaking. Natasha most enjoys landscape painting, however,
she has recently been experimenting with portraits. Natasha Turner is considering
art education as a career in the future.
Valerian K. A. Wentzel
"I'm an FSU student; my major is undeclared although I am leaning toward biology.
I like to get my art inspiration from nature to bring awareness to the problems with
endangered species. I have two dogs and I love animals. I'd have a zoo in my house
if I had the room."
Christy Ann Wood
"My name is Christy Ann Wood. I was born April 10 1985. I grew up in Las Vegas, with
my parents and three sisters. I was sick as a child and hadn't many friends, so I
took comfort in drawing. Everything seemed to inspire me, especially architectural
design, much that I noticed in Las Vegas casinos, and other parts of the city, urban
art in the flesh. Graffiti inspired me as well. I never made it but drew much inspiration
from the simplistic complexity. My artistic interest and skill only broadened as I
progressed through life. I now enjoy ceramics, jewelry making and craft arts such
as sewing, crocheting and minor fashion design. I currently attend Fairmont State
University where I am majoring in commercial graphic design, and plan to further my
education in the fine arts program. I chose to take pottery this semester which as
seemed to unlock much of my artistic energy. Pottery seems to have the ability to
stop the hands of time for me as I often find myself at the wheel while others are
gone. Many late nights and weekends of my free time have been spent joyously in the
studio. My only hope is that my artistic energy and skill continue to grow as I do."
Jennifer Yerdon
Jennifer Yerdon received her B.F.A. in 2001 from The College of Saint Rose in Albany,
N.Y. While studying in Albany, her concentration was oil painting but she also spent
significant time drawing, silk screen printing and studying art history. After graduating
from The College of Saint Rose, Jennifer attended West Virginia University and earned
her M.F.A. in 2005 and a Pre-K-Adult Art Education Certification in 2006. Her artwork
has been shown in New York, Kansas, West Virginia and Minnesota. Yerdon recently joined
the faculty of Fairmont State University as a Temporary Instructor of Art. In the
classroom she focuses on visual literacy, art appreciation, and art education curriculum
development with education students. Jennifer is also the Director of the Young People's
Saturday Art Studio art program where primary (ages 5-8) and intermediate (ages 9-12)
students are exposed to a variety of art concepts and materials.
Micah Zbach
"The foundation in which I construct my art is pioneered by my poetry. Writing is
my way of releasing my infinite thoughts of life and the obstacles it throws me through.
Writing is the start from which I create a great deal of my art and photography. Visualizing
the emotion invoked from the poem, I then piece together corresponding words, feelings,
textures and colors to convey them. Creating art has always been the focus of my life,
and I feel like it completes me as a person. My mother is my greatest inspiration,
and has always been an amazing artist. My latest passion is digital photography of
West Virginia. I intensely backpack the mountains, and may hike twenty miles to reach
that picturesque scene. West Virginia has endless opportunities for photographers;
however, getting these beautiful pictures is only achieved through hiking over unpredictable
terrain. Every mile that I hike and every picture that I take drives this internal
force to go farther. Nature has taken over my art and transformed it into something
more powerful and meaningful than I ever imagined."
