We're In !!

Sunnyside Artists to Display Work at Smith House Galleries, 

Sponsored by Arts Council of the Valley

In early 2020, COVID-19 was spreading rapidly across the US. Scientists had just begun studying the virus; there were no specialized treatments and no vaccines to stop it.  Disease caused by the virus hit hardest in communities of older adults.  Seniors sought refuge in solitude - avoiding the disease through isolation.

For some Sunnyside residents, the long COVID-19 quarantine became a period of great artistic productivity.  Sunnyside has long nourished talented artists and craftspeople.  Left with few distractions, these people refined their skills and explored new themes and ways of expressing themselves.  The result was a flood of work in multiple media and on many topics.

A few residents recognized that an exhibit of these new works would delight many in Sunnyside, in the larger Harrisonburg community, and beyond.  Such an exhibit would also highlight a very different aspect of COVID and the quarantine period.  After many conversations and much research, a proposal was written and presented to the Arts Council of the Valley (ACV).  The proposal was accepted last month.  The exhibition will be held in Harrisonburg's Smith House Galleries from June 2, 2023 through June 29, 2023.  More information will be presented as the opening approaches.

The Smith House exhibit will feature artwork and crafts from 18 Sunnyside residents.  Works will range from paintings done in oil, acrylic, or watercolors; wood furniture and decorative arts; stained glass; fiber art; sculpture; photography, and more.  All works in the show will have been created from 2020 to the present, and none will have been part of any previous shows. The exhibit will open with a reception on June 2, 2023.  Sunnyside residents and staff will provide entertainment at the reception.

Don't wait … mark your calendars NOW !!  This is a Sunnyside event that you don't want to miss!  In subsequent issues of Sunnyside Times, participating artists will be profiled and their previous work highlighted.  Please watch for these articles; appreciation of items in the exhibit will undoubtedly be enhanced by knowing the creators and the stories behind their creations.  Artists will also be present during the exhibit to discuss their work.

Main contact points for the exhibit include Mary Rouse 540-246-6363, Judith Anderson (8733), Pat Bertoia (8414), and our Public Relations Manager Mary Jane Kirkland (8679).