On display at Carnegie Hall Nov. 2 through Dec. 31 are photographs by Pamela Withrow in the Auditorium Gallery, paintings by Mary Hurst in the Old Stone Room, and works by Agnes Carbrey and Ryan Russell in the Museum Gallery. There will be an opening reception hosted by the artists on Friday, Nov. 6 from 5-8 p.m. Gallery receptions are open to the general public and free of charge.
Mary Hurst’s oil paintings are vibrant and highly detailed, combining realism and abstraction in a unique contemporary style. A native West Virginian, she finds inspiration in the forests of her home state. Currently living in Lewisburg, she investigates nature and explores it with paint, evolving her style through works on canvas from wall-sized to tiny. Hurst’s bold paintings employ small, playful shapes suggestive of symbols, inviting the viewer in for closer inspection. Her creative process begins with a pause to appreciate the wonder of nature. The end results request of viewers a similar pause for a deeper look.
Hurst started painting as a student at West Virginia University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2009. Since then, she has painted continuously, doing commission work and exhibiting her art in galleries around West Virginia. She was recently presented with financial assistance from the WV Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts to pursue plein air painting.
Exhibits are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Many of the works are available for purchase. The purchase of artwork exhibiting at Carnegie Hall benefits both the artist and the Hall. To find out more about Carnegie Hall’s exhibits or other programming, call 304-645-7917 or visit www.carnegiehallwv.org.
Carnegie Hall’s exhibits are presented with financial assistance from the WV Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment of the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts.
