MARTINSBURG — The Berkeley Arts Council (BAC) is welcoming guests to visit its Members Exhibit until Feb. 24.
Members are invited to bring two or more pieces to display and share with the community. The gallery officially opened on Jan. 10, creating a beautiful space to explore and appreciate local artwork.
Malinda Shaver, one of the founding members of the BAC and an artist participating in the exhibit, talked about some of the different pieces included in this year’s exhibit. It includes art from many different mediums, including oil paintings, collages, photography, pencil sketches, sculptures and more.
“It’s fun to see all the different contributions,” Shaver said. “It changes from year to year. For example, one year, an artist could do something with acrylic paint, and the next, they could change to something else. It shows the growth among our members as they explore different mediums. That’s one of the things that makes this exhibit different from others.”
Shaver’s own love for art came from many different parts of her life. Her mother was an artist and encouraged her interest in creating her work. That passion led her and Sterling “Rip” Smith to create the BAC back in 2008. The organization moved to downtown Martinsburg in 2013 and has been helping artists throughout the area since.
“We offer a unique opportunity,” Shaver said. “There are a few other galleries in the Panhandle, and some feature famous and well-known artists. However, we are the only one in this area. We believe the public should be able to see art from other artists, and we do our best to support artists in their pursuit.”
In addition to Shaver, some of the other artists include John Turner, with two pieces using ink, colored pencil and watercolor. Doug Kinnett shared some of his work, too, including a wood collage depicting the roadside landscape near Interstate 81.
The BAC members include many artists throughout the Eastern Panhandle, but it isn’t limited to artists in West Virginia. Shaver shared that some of the artists come from Maryland and other nearby states to share their art, participate in classes and support other artists. Through the exhibit, community members are also allowed to purchase pieces they enjoy.
The gallery features more than 20 artists and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays until Feb. 24.
