MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Aug. 31, 2026) — A crowd of around 100 people attended an opening reception welcoming the exhibits “COLLECTive Concerns: Collage and Assemblage," "Novus Ordo Seclorum," and "Bull Mountain Arts" to Piedmont Arts on Aug 28.
“COLLECTive Concerns" curator Reni Gower spoke about the exhibition featuring groupings of small works by 12 artists from across the country and addressing the collective concerns facing society, such as climate change, identity, pandemics, politics, and grief.
The exhibit includes work by Gower, Judy Bowman, Elaine Crivelli, Kristy Deetz, Virginia Derryberry, Craig Hill, Errin Ironside, Sue Johnson, Axelle Kieffer, Edwin Shelton, Alexandra N. Sherman, and Michele Stutts.
Artist Chris Gregson also spoke about his exhibit "Novus Ordo Seclorum," which features abstract paintings inspired by the country’s 250th anniversary and key events happening in his life and artistic practice.
Two interconnected series comprise the exhibition: expansive horizontal panels that evoke landscapes and distant horizons while remaining untethered from any specific geography; and diptychs that examine the dynamic relationships between paired panels of color. Together, they explore themes of opposition, compatibility, sameness, and harmony, revealing how meaning is generated through both difference and connection.
Work by members of Bull Mountain Arts, a collective of artists based in Stuart, Virginia, is on view in the Lynwood Artists Gallery. President Lora Mahaffey introduced the group and the many art forms on display, including oil and acrylic painting, fiber arts, and glass.
These exhibits will be on view through Oct. 31.
“Healing Arts,” an exhibit focusing on mental health awareness and the healing power of art, is also on view in the Foster Gallery. It features work created by participants in Horizons, an organization of Piedmont Community Services, and will be on view through Sept. 30.
The reception and exhibits are sponsored by Katie and Jack Adkins, Lucy Coleman, Olivia and Pres Garrett, Gale and Will Gravely, Melody Margrave, Helen S. and Charles G. Patterson Jr. Charitable Foundation Trust, Lynwood Artists, and What's Your Sign.
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