VALDESE — Art lovers or those curious about tapping into their hidden talent can check out a local artists group’s exhibition at the Old Rock School in Valdese soon.
The Open Studio artists of the Rock School Arts Foundation will hold the free exhibition starting on Jan. 12. And if something strikes your fancy, it probably can be purchased, said Helen Tueffel, one of the artists and a foundation board member.
Tueffel said there are currently about nine local artists who will display more than 100 pieces of mostly representational art in the exhibition.
A free reception will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at the Old Rock School, at 400 Main St., W., Valdese.
The artists are part of the open studio at the Old Rock School that started in May 2021, Tueffel said. The artists gather in one of the foundation studios from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays to hone their craft, she said. And it’s free.
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The group got started after Tueffel moved to the area in 2020 and met Rock School Arts Foundation Executive Director Sharon Bowman when exhibiting her art there. She was then asked to be on the foundation board of directors and the idea for an open studio was born.
Tueffel said some of the painters in the group work in oil, there are others who work in pastels, while there are those who work in water colors or acrylics.
No matter the type, it’s a time where artists can bring their supplies, and maybe lunch, to come together in a space to work on their art intensively for a few hours, she said. It’s a space where they don’t have the distractions that they may have at home.
“So what it is is a place for artists to simply do their art but there isn’t really any instruction,” Tueffel said.
While there isn’t any instruction during the sessions, artists will give critiques, if asked, she said.
“Sometimes people do better when they’re in an environment where other people are doing the same thing,” Tueffel said. “They’re doing progress better. They learn from each other. And they don’t always need a teacher.”
And artists don’t have to be formally trained. Tueffel doesn’t have a fine arts degree and participants don’t have to go art school, she said. Those in the group of artists come from Valdese, Morganton, Rutherford College, Lenoir and Maiden, she said.
Deborah Collins returned to her native Burke County after retiring from the medical field. She started painting during a camping trip and her artwork became a stress reliever and a promoter of inner peace, according to her artist biography.
Judy Whitener is a Valdese resident and painted as a teenager but then life — career and family — put her art on the back burner. She paints in oils and watercolors and says in her biography that she’s enjoying getting back to her love of painting through the Rock School Arts Foundation.
Tueffel said there are several more spots available for artists to join. However, if the session fills up, Tueffel said they will open another session. She said no one will be turned away.
“We will find a way to get people to be able to do it,” Tueffel said.
To visit the Rock School Arts Foundation online, visit https://rockschoolartgalleries.com.
