The Shadow
Looking for a nearby, enjoyable day, enveloped in some air conditioning?
Look no further than the Bath County Art Show. It opens Saturday, July 16, and runs through Sunday, July 24. It’s held at Valley Elementary School in Ashwood, and is open from 1-5 p.m. every day but the final Sunday, when it’s open from 10-noon.
If eight days seems like a long time for a show to run, consider this: There are more than 700 works of art from across the region and the country, by more than 220 artists. Chances are, you are already familiar with some of them. And, you will no doubt find some new favorites.
The show is sponsored, as it has been for more than 50 years, by the Bath County Arts Association. This group does so much for so many throughout Bath. They’re a treasure in and of themselves, and we’re very lucky to have them.
You may well want to visit more than once. I know I always do. I run up there several times throughout the week.
There is no admission fee. And all the works displayed are for sale. Prizes? There are plenty. More than $15,000 is awarded to winners in various categories. And every category of art is represented – sculpture, watercolors, oils, pastels, graphics, photography, acrylics and charcoal. There truly is something for everyone.
Back in the day (before retirement!) I would often buy something I fell in love with and couldn’t live without. I have lots of art show pieces hanging on every wall where there’s space. These days, I look and admire and covet, but I do not buy. Here’s what I tell myself: I don’t have any more wall space to hang anything!
So, consider taking a lovely drive up the mountain (it’s always at least 10 degrees cooler up here), and visiting the Bath County Art Show. You will come home with your senses enriched, and you just may find something you truly cannot live without bringing home to hang on your own wall.
This is the biggest non-juried art show in the region, if not the state. It’s special. It’s the Bath County Art Show, and you’ve gotta love it!
