Humanities Division Virtual Gallery Archive

2020 Annual Student Art Exhibition

2021 Annual Student Art Exhibition

2022 Annual Student Art Exhibition

2023 Annual Student Art Exhibition

2020 Annual Faculty Art Exhibition

2021 Annual Faculty Art Exhibition

2022 Annual Faculty Art Exhibition

Black Joy Is: Ferocious, Fearless, Forever, For Me, Female 
This exhibition asks the question- in the face of ongoing challenges, where do African American women find joy? What are the sources of rebirth and nourishment? Nine regional artists were asked to ponder what “black joy” means to them and this exhibition is the result.  Through these nine artists, we experience the tremendous diversity and complexity that hints at the multi-faceted reality that is black joy. 
The exhibition is curated by Veronica Jackson, an alumnus of UVA’s architecture school who spent much of her career working as an exhibit designer in Washington DC. She has recently returned to Central Virginia and is turning her attention to the visual arts. She creates text-based work that is autobiographical and critically visualizes gender and race in America.

The Mountain Traditions Project

This show tells the stories of 50 individuals who are carrying forward Appalachian traditions in our rapidly changing world, challenging long-held notions of cultural rigidity in Appalachia, and exploring the heritage of the region as a rich, diverse tapestry of traditions that is inclusive of a plurality of voices, identities, and perspectives.   
Thank you to the artist, Michael O. Snyder and to Frostburg State University for loaning the pieces.

Our Changing Climate: A Visual Chronicle

This exhibit seeks to move beyond simply documenting climate change and instead tell the human stories behind these global changes and the reactions to them.  The artist, Michael O. Snyder, explains: 
“In the 21st century, we must move beyond merely documenting the consequences of global warming—floods, fires, hurricanes, rising seawater, and other environmental anomalies—since this is all now known as fact. Rather, we must now shift our focus to stories of hope, leadership, and sustainable solutions that communities across the planet are pioneering to reduce global warming and prevent climate change from causing cataclysmic destruction to the global human community. Critically, for a solution to be truly sustainable, it has to tackle not only the climate crisis (which is the fire in our house) but also the systemic conditions that gave rise to the fire in the first place: the broader social-economic paradigm of extraction, colonialism, and unchecked consumption. If we support such systemic solutions, not only will we put out the fire, but we stand to create a world that is more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and beautiful.”

"The Fall Line" Retrospective Exhibition

This exhibition served as a celebration of 14 years of publication for our student-run literary journal, The Fall Line. 
From the beginning, club members wanted the magazine to showcase the voices of PVCC students. They wanted it to reflect the dreams, visions, and concerns of our student body, not one aesthetic nor a narrow idea of “good writing.” After the first few editions, composed in outdated software, they turned to PVCC’s Art Department for help. Graphic Design students brought their skill and creativity to the magazine, and they began to feature student art to complement the student writing.

The show is meant to showcase a small sampling of the student work created for the journal since its inception in 2008. We are proud of our students for their innovation, grit and creativity in creating this journal and look forward to even more fantastic publications in the years to come. 
You can view the current and previous volumes of The Fall Line here.

"These Memories Can't Wait" - Beryl Solla: A Retrospective

It is a joy to celebrate the rich life of Beryl Solla, the late Professor of Art at PVCC and the artist represented in this show. 
This exhibition highlights Beryl's creations and community, which live on affixed to the walls of loved ones, adorning bookshelves and enriching public spaces in Charlottesville and beyond. 
Some of the pieces in this exhibit are unfinished.  They are included partly for educational purposes but also because Beryl wasn't done!  These pieces gives us a window into her process to see the many steps she took to create these seemingly effortless creations.  Beryl knew the real truth of being an artist -  that to create is to make a conscious choice in the moment, to fly with bunnies and, above all, to say yes. 
Many thanks to Beryl's loving community for generously lending her work.

"The Figure: Who We Are" by the Life Drawing Community of McGuffey Art Center

Established in 1975, McGuffey Art Center is one of Charlottesville’s cultural jewels. As one of the oldest artist-run cooperatives in the country, it represents an important partnership between the greater Charlottesville community, the more than 100 artist members and the city of Charlottesville. 
Like everyone, the past 18 months have been challenging for the art community. The PVCC Art Department has been deeply impressed with the commitment to continuity of the McGuffey Life Drawing Community and was delighted to offer gallery space to these determined artists.  Their persistence has been a quiet beacon of light in the arts community and, one imagines, an important tether for each of them to something that resembles “normal” life. Here, then, is their gift to us - a remarkably diverse and rich vision of “Who We Are”.

"Drawology" by Frank Walker

In “Drawology”, the beauty of Frank Walker’s artwork lies in the love he shows to his subjects. Whether it’s a grandchild from his own family or a veteran he met at McDonald's, when Frank sits down to draw a subject, he does it as an act of love. Love contains it all - the beauty, the anger, the heartache and the joy. He is a careful observer of the human condition and a dedicated recorder of the African American experience.  His family has lived in the heart of Charlottesville for generations, so his work is deeply rooted in his own community. It feels particularly appropriate to celebrate it here, at PVCC, where so many people in our community get their start.

World Progress Association Presents: The New Deal WPA Posters - Reimagined New Work by Barbara Shenefield

Barbara Shenefield is a well-known and respected artist. Her work has historically celebrated a sense of place, her love of our region and its many beauties. In recent years she has turned her attention to the work done during the WPA era. This period saw artists looking at social issues and using their visual skills to shine a light on the pressing problems of the day. (https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/works-progress-administ…)  In her most recent work, Shenefield has embraced and expanded this style to create the work we are seeing in this exhibit. 
We hope you find it as meaningful and inspirational as we do.  Enjoy the exhibition here. 

Annual "Day of the Dead" Candython & Horror Story Contest Virtual Exhibition

Every year the Art Department students create artwork out of candy to honor the Mexican Holiday of "Day of the Dead" or Día de Muertos. The school is invited to look at the art and then eat it. Several years back, we joined with the Writer's club to share their prize-winning short horror stories. Since then we have combined the two events for a high-calorie event that feeds our souls and imaginations. This year we recreated the event as a website. You'll need to supply your own treats but we will supply the stories and art!

Remembering Beryl Solla

On February 19, the PVCC community said goodbye to Beryl Solla, professor of Art and Art Department Chair, who died after a 13-year struggle with cancer. Beryl was a beloved and important part of the college; thus, we are celebrating and remembering her through an exhibit and vigil. We invite students, faculty, staff and the community to participate.  
For further details, click here.