Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley – Homes on Church Street

Nov 4, 2019

We believe strongly that design can build a better community, enhance livability, reduce construction and operation costs, and protect our environment. We believe that design matters. In an effort to meet our firm mission of making a difference in our communities through design we often perform pro-bono design projects. We recently worked with Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley – Homes on Church Street. This is in a long line of partnerships with Habitat for Humanity Chapters around the state including Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity, Green County Habitat for Humanity, and Central Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley

Our work with these organizations not only benefits the organization that is working towards building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter, but also those families that get to own these homes. Our goal is to focus on functional, affordable, and beautiful design solutions that help build community.

Congratulation on the progress made on the Church Street Homes. This is going to be a vibrant and healthy community that not only enhances lives of those living in these units, but also the surrounding community.

As always, this event is free and open to everyone, and refreshments will be provided by Gaines Group Architects.

Series Name: An Interlude of Water

Medium: Hand-cut Montage

Artist Statement: “An Interlude of Water

The stillness of a hot, lazy summer evening broken by the laughter of good friends as fishies bite and the sun slowly slips towards the horizon.

The pond collection swirls and twirls like the eddies at the shoreline. Developing slowly to capture the quiet aspects of what creatures could quietly inhabit a pond within the Shenandoah landscape.

The past eight months have been a creative frenzy of exploration, joy, and personal contentment, from envisioning a cohesive grouping of collages that share a color palette to letting my imagination play. The resulting collection has stretched my artistic skills and broadened my perception of interpretation and idea development.

My Process:

Each collage starts as a line drawing, creating a detailed map of the imagery to be included within the work. Moving the drawing to the wooden panel entails many bits of hand-cut paper, acrylic mediums, and acid-free paste. A sticky mess, but it so satisfies the need for detail my brain requires. All papers used are colored with acrylic paint applied with painting tools or a Gelli plate. A lot of time is spent pressing (lever press, heavy books, etc) and drying the glued papers before and after mounting on the wooden surface. Acrylic varnish provides a protective sealant for the completed collage. From concept to finished work, the process takes, on average, four weeks.”

Artist Bio: I’ve always been one to dabble in new trends and techniques. Treading water, seeking the thing that would capture and devour my imagination. In 2018, when life was overwhelming and my soul needed an escape, I fell back in love with collage. Over the intervening eight years, my artistic practice has settled into an obsession, forcing a growth in style and technique with results that personally bring me joy. A relocation to Harrisonburg, Virginia, has allowed me to establish a permanent studio space, adding momentum to my artistic journey.

*Accessibility Note: This building was previously restored from a fire. The elevator shaft is currently not functioning and there is an absence of ramps in the space. Because the show is on the 2nd floor, this may pose an issue for those who have mobility challenges. We are aware of this need and we apologize greatly if this changes your ability to attend.

This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there!

Each month we host a new artist in our building’s 2nd floor gallery at the Chesapeake Western Depot at 141 W. Bruce St. (second floor entrance is on Chesapeake). Artwork will remain on exhibit through the month. Come view the show anytime and get a tour the Depot!