Photographs from the Virginia Folklife Program made by staff photographer Pat Jarrett are on display at two separate galleries in the Commonwealth this summer and fall.
Jarrett’s photographs of Joe Wilson, Bill Birchfield and “Kill-Basa” Bill are included in the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts’ group show, “My Galax”, along with images by Pam Horton, Marianne Kovatch, Ken Landreth, Mark Robbins, Mark Sanderford, Nancy Sluys, and Tony Truitt. All photos are paired with recollections of Galax Old Fiddlers’ Conventions from years past, with perhaps the most interesting included in Sanderford’s archive of black-and-white images.
A photograph of Virginia luthier Jimmy Edmonds at age 9 shows the depth of Sanderford’s archive, but also reveals his mastery of low-light monochrome photography in the age of low ASA film ratings and manual-focus cameras.
Kovatch’s photos of the horse stall camps at Felt’s Park pair nicely with her memories of packing her friends in a car and driving to Galax. Her first-person account makes the photos come alive.
“My Galax” will be shown at the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts until August 22.
Photographs of participants in the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program are currently on view at the Floyd Country Store in downtown Floyd. These 20×30-inch prints are the official portraits of the program, which pairs master artists with apprentices to carry on a Virginia cultural tradition throughout a 9-month apprenticeship. More information about the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program can be seen here.
Portraits in the exhibit include Buddy Pendleton and his apprentice Aila Wildman, fiddlers; Wayne and Jayne Henderson, luthiers; Sam Gleaves and John Hollandsworth, autoharp makers; Ashley Nale and Sammy Shelor, banjo players; and Chris Testerman and Walter Messick, dulcimer makers, among others.
The grand opening for the Floyd gallery show will be announced soon. Check here or on our our Facebook page for more information.
Comments