Riverviews hosts over 18 exhibitions throughout the year. Join us for First Fridays on the first Friday of each month from 5 to 8 p.m. Exhibitions remain on display throughout the month during gallery hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 12-4 p.m.
The Main Gallery houses sophisticated, contemporary exhibits by regionally, nationally, and internationally acclaimed artists working with a variety of mediums
The VES Arts Intensive team has had an incredible winter season creating at Riverviews Artspace under the guidance of Kasey Forehand! 🎨✨ Each artist has contributed two outstanding pieces to the exhibition, showcasing a diverse range of styles and materials. They’re thrilled to share their work with the Lynchburg community!
Riverviews Artspace presents New Precarious Systems, the ongoing body of work of Philadelphia-based artist Lewis Colburn into our Main Gallery from February 7th - March 13th, 2025.
Artist Statement
My current works are a series of interrelated sculptural vignettes, combining fragmented monument-forms with a vocabulary of contemporary objects referencing artifice, automation, and human fragility. This combination of forms loosely reference a sense of acceleration both of progress and of retrograde political motion, and the idea of de-stabilizing previously monolithic forms and ideas. This is an ongoing body of work
In Studio 108, Riverviews Artspace is proud to showcase a collection of works by local artist Michael Creed. The exhibition will be on view February 7 - March 13, 2024. To schedule a private tour email Tracey Langseth , Executive Director at gallery@riverviews.net.
Michael’s work blurs the line between function and artistry, transforming everyday objects into sculptural statements. In his own words:
"To me, furniture is a sculptural presence in daily life. We see a chair or table hundreds of times, use it, and enjoy it. But from primitive times, people have also expressed the joy and meaning of life through the appearance of functional objects. Through art, the numinous can permeate the ordinary. In my work, I show the harmony that exists between the prosaic and the poetic.
"I’ve also enjoyed translating my weekly cigar into a curious and growing collection of Cigar Art objects. In these, like my other creations, I strive to make all the pieces work to involve, surprise, and delight the participant. This practicality serves the sense of imagination and delight I want to share with all who come in contact with my work."
The show features artwork from all the students in the JRDS Lower School. The pieces feature a variety of classroom projects from each grade level, which explore some of the elements of art, such as color, line, texture, and value. Students in the Lower School at JRDS also have opportunities to try different media, tools, and techniques, many of which are displayed int he show. Finally, the artwork showcases the wonderful creativity and craftsmanships of our Lower School students.
Riverviews Artspace presents The Feminine Spirit: American Works from Sue Ott Rowlands’ Private Collection to our Main Galley from May 2nd - August 6th, 2025.
Exhibition Statement
Welcome to a captivating exploration of the human form and the feminine spirit. This exhibition showcases an extensive and carefully curated collection of artworks, primarily focusing on women and figure painting. The collection is a celebration of the grace, strength and diverse expressions of femininity, captured through the eyes of talented American artists from various backgrounds and periods. We invite you to immerse yourself in the celebration of the feminine spirit and the art of figure painting, photography, and sculpture. As you explore the exhibition, we hope you will be inspired by the creativity, skill, and vision of the American artists represented in this collection, and that you will leave with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the human form.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Pattern highlights works of art by Sophie Blackall, an award-winning illustrator of over 50 children’s books. Inspired by the recent revitalization of her farm, Milkwood, a creative retreat for the children’s book community, the pieces on view explore the layers and collages that shape our lives. Focusing on collective, generational, and individual memories, the exhibition celebrates our emotional connections to place and to the objects we hold dear. The exhibition is curated by Alex Grabiec, an artist, curator, and educator based in rural Virginia.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sophie Blackall, is an award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including the New York Times best-selling Ivy and Bean series, the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner, Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner, Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote.
She is the five-time recipient of The New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book Award and has worked with UNICEF and Save the Children, UK on global health and literacy initiatives. Originally from Australia, she now splits her time between Brooklyn, New York, and the Catskill Mountains, where she and her husband run a retreat for the children’s book community called Milkwood Farm.
Pattern highlights works of art by Sophie Blackall, an award-winning illustrator of over 50 children’s books. Inspired by the recent revitalization of her farm, Milkwood, a creative retreat for the children’s book community, the pieces on view explore the layers and collages that shape our lives. Focusing on collective, generational, and individual memories, the exhibition celebrates our emotional connections to place and to the objects we hold dear. The exhibition is curated by Alex Grabiec, an artist, curator, and educator based in rural Virginia.
More information on this exhibition coming soon!
Riverviews Artspace is pleased to announce its 16th Annual Juried Art Show, showcasing works by artists from across the country, which were chosen by our esteemed juror, Betsy Bannan.
The deadline for submissions, September 13th, has passed.
Selected artworks will be featured in an exhibition opening on November 1st, which will remain on display until December 12th.
ACCEPTED ARTISTS
Laura Allen - Crozet, VA
Laren Baum - Lynchburg, VA
Ernesto Beckford - Chadds Ford, PA
Christian Bradley West - Lynchburg, VA
Kathy Cornwell - Fairfax Station, VA
Donald Depuydt - Leesburg, VA
David Eakin - Forest, VA
Susan Talbot Elliot - Lynchubrg, VA
Mark Flake - Trade, TN
Jennifer Hand - Dublin, VA
Marcus Howell - Springfield, MO
Jill Jensen - Lynchburg, VA
Kathleen Johnston - Harrisonburg, VA
Bette Kauffman - Monroe, LA
Robert Keith IV - Huddleston, VA
Carrie Longley - Brookville, OH
David McCrae - Seattle, WA
Pippi Miller - Pearisburg, VA
Julia Paul - Blacksburg, VA
Cheryl Richey - Seattle, WA
Susan Saandholland - Lynchburg, VA
Egor Shokoladov - Hillsboro, OR
Scot Sinclair - Lafayette, LA
Jeffery Stockberger - Port Republic, VA
Noah Stone - Lynchburg, VA
Allen Tenbusschen - Lynchburg, VA
Erica Trabold - Lynchburg, VA
Luke Warren - Clarksvillle, TN
Tabitha Zimmerman - Rustburg, VA
Riverviews Artspace presents Mural of the World Around Us, a collaborative mural by Laurel Regional School students.
In conjunction with Amazement Square and Riverviews Artspace, students of Laurel Regional school used adaptive arts tools to create individual works in April, 2024, as part of Riverviews’ Healing Through Arts program.
Laurel Regional School serves students with severe physical and cognitive disabilities in Lynchburg and the surrounding areas. During this activity, students used adaptive arts tools, which make it easier for those who have physical or cognitive impairments to hold and manipulate art tools, while offering rich sensory experiences. These tools can attach to different parts of the body, as well as walkers, wheelchairs, and other mobility devices.
In addition to adaptive arts tools, students were provided with communication boards while working on their canvases. Communication boards are a type of alternative communication device (AAC). They typically use pictures or illustrations to help people with limited speaking abilities express themselves. Communication boards can be used to answer questions, convey thoughts, and demonstrate desire.
Mural of the World Around Us will be on display from September 6 - October 13, Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 4. We thank Amazement Square and Laurel Regional School for their partnership for this program.
Riverviews’ gallery is filled with extremes during MONSTROUS & MINISCULE, a print show so big it will be exhibited in two galleries. Curated by Jill Jensen, this exhibition will be held in the Main Gallery and in Gallery 108 from September 6, 2024 through October 13, 2024.
Marvel at stunning large-scale woodcuts up to 48" wide and 72" high in the Main Gallery. These massive prints were created during BIG INK—a traveling printmaking workshop we're thrilled to be hosting on October 12th & 13th!
Discover charming 6"x6" prints from across the nation in Gallery 108, made by the following invited artists:
Veronica Barzel Barker
Jay Fox
Jen Garrison
Dawn Grayford
Lyall Harris
Kristin Harris
Lotta Helleberg
Mimi King
Jill A Kramer
Perry Obee
Kim Obee
Laura Pharis
Adrian Rhodes
Elizabeth Rieben
Catherine Rubin
Felicia VanBork
Pam Wallace
Meg Weston
Rosalie White Day
Pam Winegard
Anne van de Graaf.
Prints made by our gallery visitors during the July and August First Friday events will be exhibited in Gallery 108 alongside these artists' prints.
Thank you to our sponsors, Miller-Richards Wealth Management LLC and Lynn Shapiro - A Dalton & Company, Inc. Realtor!
Emerging Artist Series: Photography Invitational on view July 5, 2024 through August 17, 2024. Opening night is Friday, July 5, 2024, 5:00 - 8:00 pm.
Riverviews’ Emerging Artist Series presents the Jubilee Student Art Show on view in Gallery 108 from May 3, 2024 through June 13, 2024.
Riverviews Artspace presents “The Sky is Not the Limit,” an artistic celebration of flight in all its limitless possibilities.
On First Friday, May 3, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm Riverviews Artspace will present an exciting and ground-breaking exhibition, a celebration of flight in all its historic, symbolic, and metaphorical possibilities, sponsored by the Lynchburg Regional Airport and in partnership with Amazement Square, Jubilee Family Development Center and the Anne Spencer House.
The Riverviews Main Gallery will showcase the work of 15 significant artists, both local and national, who have competed for inclusion in this important show and juried by Lesely Shipley. Among them is a Virginia artist who creates paintings that explore the varying perspectives humans have of the planet and who has had work in a number of New York galleries and the Taubman Museum of Art. Other artists reference environmental concerns or simply the beauty of flight itself. There will be a variety of mediums including imaginative and playful 3D pieces. Lynchburg’s own NASA Astronaut Leland Melvin will be in attendance, exhibiting his amazing astrophotography from his missions on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. He will also be happy to autograph your copy of his book, Chasing Space, if you would like to bring it to the gallery.
Enjoy the Jubilee Center Student Art Show in Riverviews Gallery 108, presenting student artwork related to flight along with a paper airplane making activity and paper airplane throwing contest. At 6:30 pm there will be a special talk by the Anne Spencer House and Gardens Executive Director Shaun Spencer-Hester, titled “Who is Chauncey Spencer?” The talk will highlight the life of Chauncey Spencer, an important pioneer in aviation from Lynchburg who was instrumental in the creation of the world famous Tuskegee Airmen. Later this month there will be a special exhibit at Amazement Square concentrating on the Tuskegee Airmen.
All age groups at opening night are invited to enjoy a Pop-Up Planetarium sponsored by Amazement Square. Step into the inflatable planetarium in Riverviews’ Gallery 108 and discover the intersection of art, science, and solar observation in a unique way. You won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind First Friday experience! It promises to be an unforgettable evening. You will enjoy live music by Selah Vie in the main gallery, wander through the artspace and visit a number of open artists studios to see where all the magic happens. The bar will be open (cash or credit) and a charcuterie board sponsored by Isabellas promises attendees delicious gourmet offerings.
After the First Friday opening reception on May 3rd, “The Sky is Not the Limit” exhibition will be on view at Riverviews Artspace through June 13, 2024, and the gallery will be open Wednesday through Friday, from 12::00 to 4:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Donations encouraged.
Signaling Theory - Siobhán Byrns
MAIN GALLERY
ON VIEW FROM MARCH 1 - APRIL 18
Thematically, my art is an attempt to raise awareness of the fragility of nature and the human experience that longs to be witnessed.
Addressing environmental and societal issues, this work is a deep investigation into the natural phenomena of our emotional attachment with beauty, love, and connection to each other and our own histories. In these processes and expressions, I hope to understand the concept of an individual's place in the world, with a particular focus on permanence and impermanence of relationships, families, women and their connection to the environment. Through a variety of mediums and artistic, chemical and elemental techniques rooted in conservation with respect for senescence and deterioration, I want the viewer to step into the complex notions of identity.
Impermanence and decay are implicit in our lives and yet we cling to the concert of artificial perfection and youth. The work asks viewers to contemplate their roles in a broader world, their connection to the global community and the ways in which they construct a sense of autonomy within their unique environment.
Chlorophyll printing is an alternative photographic process where photographic images are developed on natural leaves through the action of photosynthesis. This organic technique does not use chemicals since the photographs are exposed directly to the sunlight on plants or tree leaves.
The main collection of this exhibition is chlorophyll prints suspended in resin and site specific installations will explore and make visible recent experiences of being in a post pandemic landscape, alongside an awareness of our entanglements to place and nature, our perception of time/immortality. For me, this means taking time to create work using an ethical and caring framework to discuss our relationship with our destruction, over use and poisoning of the environment. As such, these works are slow, fragile, repetitive, low-tech, analogue print and photographic processes. My interest is in the intimate and ephemeral. The process for the chlorophyll prints is almost ritualistic. The work often has a stillness, a delicate presence in the dark rooms where they take their form.
In addition to the chlorophyll prints additional series will be exhibited including pieces from 999 Problems, but a Bitch ain’t one, which focuses on the white European male gaze and structuring of Art History and museum worthy work. These individual works are 1000 piece puzzles of recognizable painting often seen to represent “Art.” The missing piece is representative of women, people of color, visionary artists and primitive artworks.
The other included works in this show are “Don’t worry I can fix it.” This series examines childhood literature that models what love or healthy relationships are to American school age children. However when seen through adult eyes these relationships can be interpreted as abusive, narcissistic, gaslit (gaslighting) or otherwise inappropriate. This series also ties into previous work with gold, currency, and value with the concept of kintsugi or “golden joinery”. Also known as Kintsukurio, this is a traditional Japanese art of repainting broken or damaged pottery by mending areas with gold, silver or platinum.
Photo credit: Kendall Wagner
Artist’s Bio - Siobhán Byrns
Siobhán Byrns is a Full Professor of Art at the University of Lynchburg and teaches in both the Art Department and the Westover Honors College.
Siobhán maintains an active artistic career and has participated in numerous one-person and group exhibitions. Her current research stems from sustainable darkroom practices and alternative process techniques that focus on current social and political pressures on women and the environment.
She has an upcoming solo show Signaling Theory opening on March 1, 2024 at Riverviews Artspace, Virginia, and a solo show at the Daura Museum of Art, Anam Cara in March of 2025. She is also currently exhibiting at Perspectives Gallery in Chicago for the exhibit LENS 2024. This spring she will also be participating in an artist residency with the Burren College of Art in Co Clare, Ireland.
Siobhán received her MFA in photography from the Art Institute of Chicago and received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, focusing both on traditional and time-based new media and photography. While a graduate student, she was formally trained as a fine art restorationist and conservator in some of the country’s most prominent museums. In 2004, while working in the Museum of The Art Institute of Chicago, she assisted in the digital restoration of Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.
Riverviews’ Emerging Artist Series presents: Jurgen Ziesmann’s “Somewhere Between Biology and Dreams,” on view from January 5th through February 15th, 2024.
Kate McClure’s exhibition, “Elemental,” will be on display in Riverviews’ main gallery from January 5th to February 15th. Kate’s new work is abstract, conceptually based, and process-driven. Using bold color, gestural line, and texture, her simplified shapes float across the surface of the panel and provide contrast to the fields of color.
Hundreds of artists from throughout the United States enter their artwork of any medium into this competitive event at which the juror will select finalists to exhibit at Riverviews Artspace in November and December of 2023. Now a nation-wide call for entry, the Riverviews Artspace Annual Juried Art Show has been a tradition for 15 years. Artists of any media and subject matter, from any US state can enter 3 works for consideration to the chosen juror, Laura Pharis.
From starting my journey playing D3 football not knowing what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, to transferring to a community college in Harrisonburg, Virginia where I started taking art classes. There I would first get the art bug while taking painting, art appreciation, and ceramics. A little after my first year there, COVID-19 hit which left me at home, and with hours of time on my hands. The path to creating wasn't always clear, straight, or easy to navigate, but it has been one of the most rewarding & fulfilling things I've ever done ready and I'm excited for the continued journey ahead.
"Raw and Primitive Emotions: Unveiling Women's Inner Realities" seeks to ignite meaningful conversations about the unspoken struggles that women in the USA face on a daily basis. The exhibition will run from October 6th to October 27th and will showcase a remarkable group of artworks that delve deep into the complex and often raw emotions that women experience.
For 20 years, Riverviews Artspace has been inspiring, challenging, and bringing people together through art in downtown Lynchburg. And we have no intention of stopping. Join us on Sept. 1st for the ultimate First Friday: a celebration of everything we've accomplished in the past two decades, and all the incredible friends we've made along the way.
My goal as an artist is to push impressionism and realism as far as I can take it. I want viewers to understand what they're looking at but also understand the essence of each subject. It's important to me to go against the grain of tradition that limits what each piece of art will look like.
My work is inspired by the beauty and drama of the natural world, which I attempt to capture and convey to the viewer through the strategic use of color and light. I am particularly fascinated with the ephemeral, shape-shifting cloud formations and kaleidoscopic light shows I witness daily, living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
The complex threads of the industrial jacquard weavings add another visual and conceptual layer to processand product. Translating images, slowly painted by hand, into a potentially mass-produced product that simulates slow work wrought by hand is amusing, mesmerizing, troubling, and a symptom of our times. As artists we engage in a reciprocal fabric of making. We tie and re-tie “strings” that simultaneously pull on the past, present, and future, on the artist and the viewer.
To capture the beauty of a moment, a place, be it in nature or in a person, is a power of photography that I have fallen in love with. In my short adventures in the world, I have been blown away time and time again by these gems, sometimes hidden in plain sight. From the churning waters of Oahu’s shores, to the warm Texas sunlight filtered by trees and tall grass, I intend to share as much beauty as I possibly can. These moments speak to me, and maybe they speak to you as well. What draws you in more, fills you with peace or excitement? I personally enjoy the big, spacious scenes where nature is untouched, thriving and powerful.
These works each celebrate what we have, or mourn what has been lost. Whiteside's acrylic paintings feature dark voids in juxtaposition with lighter values, conveying not only a distinction between these opposing values, but also a sense of interlocked inseparability. Kaluszka's cyanotype photographs have a similar quality, with flat white silhouettes that both represent natural elements, as well as suggest a void where that same thing is missing. This is combined with hazy atmospheric qualities, as well as more traditionally photographed elements, resulting in imagery that is both recognizably physical and yet intangible, with familiar elements from a variety of contexts spliced together into mysterious dreamscapes. Kaluszka's sculptural ceramics and watercolors compel us to relish in the natural beauty that is perhaps accessible to many of us, but often overlooked and unconsciously missed.
Gallery Hours - Wednesday through Sunday: 12-5pm
Sharon K. Lester is a naive artist with no formal training. I began painting in 2016 after going to a sip and paint. I became obsessed with creating Art and have done so for the past 6 years. I am a retired USPS Rural Letter Carrier serving Appomattox County.
The natural rhythmic flow hypnotizes.
Through video, I isolate water from its natural surroundings and place it into circumstance that opens the audience to a state of receptivity and thought not normally associated with water. Images form a bridge between the consciousness of the water and the consciousness of the viewer. I don’t tame the water. It is uncontrolled except for compositional placement, contrast and time shifts. Improvising, to isolate, as to see the quiddity of the water within the space is the objective.
Cindy Wood teaches beginning drawing, pen and inks, charcoal, colored pencil, and watercolor painting at Tradewynd Art Studio. Her students consist of Jr. High through High School ages. They study Upper torso anatomy for Portraiture, and 3D Drawing. Their year consists of drawing studies and 2 Completed Projects of our studies by the end of the school year.
Now a nation-wide call for entry, the Riverviews Artspace Annual Juried Art Show has been a tradition for 14 years. Artists of any media and subject matter, from any US state can enter 3 works for consideration to the chosen juror. Jurors in the past have been museum curators and educators from the VMFA in Richmond and the National Gallery in D.C., gallery owners, and contemporary art writers from across VA.
My art expresses themes of youth, self identity, femininity, love, and happiness; all things that are of great importance to me. I enjoy incorporating bright colors and whimsical characters in my pieces to ultimately bring joy to myself and others.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Color, light, and buttery brushstrokes fill me with a creative euphoria, but it is the individual’s story, feeling, and purpose that make me come alive. The portrait is the primary focus in my work because there is something powerful and fundamental about connecting to a story or an emotion through the human face. At infancy, we find belonging and safety in seeing our parent’s smile. As adults, we discover a sense of home and acceptance in connecting with a dear friend or a partner’s loving gaze.
I have also long been fascinated with dance and movement. Emotion, stories, and even just the day-to-day rhythms of our lives are so beautifully expressed and communicated through the figure in motion.
Within my work, the viewer will find a variety of media used to explore capturing the portrait and the figure in motion. My hope is that this blend of color, value, and technique will draw the viewer into the story and concept to connect to a moment, a brushstroke, a smile, or a tear. As you take in each moment, may you be reminded that no matter where you are, you are never alone.
Gallery Hours - Wednesday through Sunday: 12-5pm
Artist Statement
In my work I seek to provide a narrative and document what is happening in the present moment around me, I do this by telling stories using imagery and composition. Told from my perspective, these stories are personal to me however I've found that they’re not unique to me. These are the stories of our society and culture in our time.
I stack imagery in my work to provide structure to the account. Sometimes the stack of objects is chronological, a linear timeline starting from the base moving to the top. In other cases the imagery could be in order of relevance or importance. The object at the bottom of the piece holds that placement because without it nothing else could stand, it’s what that object represents that is the foundation of the story.
I recently completed a series of prints titled the Endless Endeavor, the prints documented the story of my family. They start with my grandfather coming to the United States from Mexico City and ended with the birth of my daughters while exploring the generations in between. In that series the stacks symbolized the idea that each generation works hard to elevate the following generation so that they can obtain things that were out of reach for previous generations. This is one example of the ways that I am currently using imagery composition to provide a narrative.
Big Ink is an arts organization that invite artists to submit a large wood cut (at least 24″ x 36″) to be printed on site at one of their workshops. As part of their mission, BIG INK invites the general public to come watch the process for free! Riverviews will house their large scale press in our main gallery. Exact times and selected prints will be announced closer to date of the event. More details to follow!
They will predetermine the selected artists/entries before the event. Those selected will press 3 prints, one of which will be added to the BIG INK portfolio. Artists can be individuals or collaboration of two artists, with or without printmaking experience. Below you can find the participating artists and their websites if provided!
Becky Schaffer
Woodblock print on paper, 42” x 32”
$475
