Hi there, everyone! On Twitter, I promised this story would publish on Monday. Sorry about that! I got a little preoccupied yesterday trying to sort through all the news about vaccination at CVS pharmacies. Long story short: All the appointments for the next two weeks are probably already full. And you’re only eligible for an appointment if you’re over the age of 65 AND have already pre-registered with the New River Health District. So 26,000 extra doses a week is exciting, but it won’t solve Virginia’s vaccine rollout problems.
On a happier note, I’m so eager to share this feature on A New Leaf Gallery’s latest exhibit! My husband Josh and I actually traveled into town last weekend to see the exhibition in person, and it’s pretty amazing what Floyd’s high school student artists have created. One of the artworks, a collage, even featured an old Floyd Press article! Pretty neat—I didn’t know teens read print news. :)
The Floyd BOS met this morning, so I’ll have coverage of that meeting for you tomorrow. Later this week, hopefully, I’ll have some Valentine’s Day content to share, too! Thanks for being here. Have a great day!
-Ashley
A New Leaf Gallery teams up with student artists to fundraise for teachers
Over the past year, we’ve all found our own ways to cope with the pandemic. Some of us focused on learning new skills or enjoying new hobbies. We learned to bake (sourdough bread, anyone?); became avid hikers; launched home improvement projects; perfected home gym routines or, for some of us, simply watched way more Netflix than we normally would.
The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has been different for everyone, but many people experienced isolation, fear, anger, anxiety and grief in 2020. We grieved simple things like missing our friends and cancelling events we had looked forward to. But nearly half a million people have died since January, too. Many of us are grieving the loss of beloved family members.
Creating art is one method of working through and expressing such emotions. With the support of A New Leaf Gallery in Floyd, that’s exactly what a group of 23 Floyd County High School students did. The resulting paintings, collages, drawings and pottery works will be on display through February in a special exhibition called, “How the Time Has Been for Them,” or “Corona 2020.”
A New Leaf Galley is a cooperative of artists, Lori Sutphin explained during a recent phone interview. “We pay our dues, but then we also volunteer to work to run the gallery. We’re responsible for selling each other’s work and supporting each other,” Sutphin said.
In addition to the work of member artists, A New Leaf Gallery (which is located in The Station shopping center) also features guest artists. Every two months, Sutphin explained, the gallery invites guest artists to hang their work for free. In non-COVID times, the gallery would host an opening reception for each new exhibit on the “First Friday” of the first month.
In January and February of each year, visitor traffic in downtown Floyd tends to slow down, Sutphin said. So instead of hosting a guest artist exhibition for that two month period, the gallery uses the time for two special events, instead. In January, the member artists contribute work to an exhibition on a theme they choose. This year, it was “Better Together.” In February, Sutphin said, “We always do this huge chocolate affair.”
More specifically, each February, A New Leaf Gallery invites student artists from Floyd County High School to contribute art for a fundraising exhibition. Then, member artists all bake chocolate goodies to cater the opening reception. “Members will bake cakes, pies, cheesecakes,” Sutphin said. “We’ll go around to businesses that will donate things and we do raffles.”
It’s quite the event; one that’s been popular and highly anticipated in Floyd for several years. All the proceeds from the event go to the high school’s art teachers, Sutphin explained. “We raise some pretty serious money sometimes, and they can use it how they want for art supplies,” she said.
Sutphin said the success of this annual fundraiser and chocolate extravaganza has allowed Floyd County art students to learn techniques and access materials not usually available at a rural public school.
“Over the years, it’s been really interesting to see the kids’ artworks, because you can tell that they have supplies that most schools don’t have. They’re creating and doing things that the other kids don’t have the chance to do,” Sutphin said. The art teachers, she said, relish the opportunity to “go above what (they’re) given by the state or the county to fund the classes.”
This year’s student art exhibit officially opened last Friday, Feb. 5, although with less fanfare than is typical. Because of COVID-related restrictions, Sutphin said, the gallery couldn’t host its chocolate-themed reception. Instead, it will fundraise for local art classes via a collection jar in the gallery, she said.
Twenty-three students submitted artwork using a variety of media for this year’s show. Kimberley Ingram and Aven Tanner are the FCHS art teachers who supported creation of the work, Sutphin said, and who will benefit from any money raised by the gallery.
The paintings, which cover two walls of the gallery, convey reflections on death; hyper-adherence to public health guidelines; the struggle with isolation and distance from loved ones; rekindled social justice movements; finding comfort in religious faith, and other themes.
Annelise Britton created one painting titled, “Fear and Loathing in America.” In the description underneath the work, Britton wrote, “So many questions come up on a daily basis such as, ‘Will I contract this virus?’; ‘Will I lose my job if there is a spike in cases?’ or ‘Am I even safe in this country that is dividing so quickly?’ So I took all of this fear and hatred of the situation and let it explode in a piece of artwork.”
The student artwork will be on display through the end of February at A New Leaf Gallery.