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Jailhouse Gallery hosts new, three-woman exhibit

“The Art of Sisterhood” runs from Nov. 6-Nov. 27 and features Beth Andrews, Tara Belk and Marsha Holmes.

Staff reports

Published: October 30, 2009

An opening reception will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Jailhouse Gallery, 115 E. Meeting St., for "The Art of Sisterhood."
It features three artists from Ashe County, Beth Andrews, Tara Belk and Marsha Holmes.
The exhibit runs through Nov. 27.
Holmes moved to the mountains with her husband and children more than 25 years ago, settling in the Creston area of Ashe County where they built a home, a horse ranch and raised a family.
Her art training began at the University of N.C. at Greensboro where she majored in fine arts, specializing in painting and printmaking. She continued her studies at East Carolina University and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Pennsylvania.
Over the years she has worked as an artist and art instructor teaching children and adults in a variety of programs in the region.
Currently, she teaches art at Project on Aging at two locations, the L.E. Harrill Center and the Western Watauga Community Center.
She said, "I have been fortunate to have traveled to France, Ireland, England and Italy as well as the Caribbean Islands and Hawaii, and I feel that nowhere is more beautiful than my home, the northwest mountains of North Carolina. The unique beauty of this area inspires my work as a painter and an art teacher."
Belk has lived and created art in the Blue Ridge Mountains for the past 20 years. She grew up in Minnesota and attended college there. Like most children, she loved to draw from a very early age. She took her first oil painting class at 14 receiving the lessons as a gift from a close family friend and her mother.
Never dreaming her most enjoyable pastime could actually become a career, she focused on other studies in college. She moved to Arizona where she worked, married and honed her drawing and painting skills under brilliant desert skies. Eventually, she moved east and earned a creative arts degree from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Her artwork found its way into numerous exhibitions, receiving awards and a place in both private and public collections. After visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains and sensing a deep connection, she knew she'd found her permanent home.
She now divides her time between teaching drawing, painting and pottery at her Trade, Tennessee studio and also at ASU in the Craft Enrichment Department, and creating her own personal expressions in clay, pastel and paint. The inspiration for her work stems from her love of the mountains, a grateful heart and a desire to honor her Creator.
She said, "Art has been a passion of mine all my life. I enjoy working in a variety of art mediums and have had experience in many different disciplines. I also love to teach and share all that I have learned, and with God's direction, I desire to positively influence the next generation of artists."
Andrews is a native North Carolinian with roots in the piedmont and northwestern mountains.
As a child serious health problems resulted in long stays in the hospital, and it was during that period, at age 10, that she was given an oil painting set. The process of creating art became a window to a world of light and color and possibilities. It also led to a life-long interest and involvement in the Arts for Health movement.
She pursued her art studies at UNC-Greensboro where she obtained a fine arts degree in painting and printmaking (with a secondary emphasis in pottery).
After graduating, she worked as a resident artist for the NC Arts Council "Third Century Artists" program — a visiting artist program which placed artists in communities across the state to build on local arts resources and develop new initiatives. Over three years and in three counties, Surry, Yadkin and Wilkes, she worked with adults and children creating murals in the schools, building a community pottery program and teaching drawing, painting and pottery. The conclusion of this program was a group exhibit in Raleigh.
Professionally, Andrews has worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for more than 25 years. In 2004, she moved to the mountains of North Carolina and refocused her attention on painting and exhibiting.
She said, "I feel that the awareness of beauty is a powerful experience, one that creates a pause from our usual mental chatter and allows us a glimpse of the transcendent nature of life. Beauty calls out to us of the mystery of life. As an artist, I am inspired by beauty in all its forms. That is what inspires me to bring brush to paper… to savor that transcendent experience and to create moments of beauty on canvas.
"Working closely with my sister artists, Marsha Holmes and Tara Belk, has been a great source of inspiration for me. To paint and share the ebb and flow of creativity with artists in an environment of love and respect creates an amazing opportunity to explore and grow."