Aug. 8—bluefield — The Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation announced Wednesday that an art exhibit by Dr. Stephen Carroll in the Paine Gallery will open on Aug. 29.
The new exhibit of multimedia artwork by the local artist begins Aug. 29 in the Paine Gallery with a Meet-the-Artist Reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will run through Sept. 30, with gallery doors open weekdays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment. The Paine Gallery is on the first floor of the Bluefield Arts Center at 500 Bland Street in downtown Bluefield.
“I grew up in beautiful southern West Virginia where the mountains offered endless places to enjoy nature and God’s world,” Carroll said about his upcoming exhibit, which will feature more than 35 works in a variety of media, including oil paintings of local woods and streams, wood sculpture, and steel and copper sculptures.
“I have always been creative and enjoyed solving problems, so to unwind from my profession as the sole practitioner of an equine veterinary practice, I started drawing portraits of some of my favorite patients as well as playing around with metal work,” he said. “This led to me making fireplace screens and to making fish and other sculptures. I also carved wooden sculptures.”
After selling his practice in 2015, Carroll began painting.
“I started with horses and landscapes of streams in West Virginia, Virginia and some in Colorado,” he said. “A lifetime of trout fishing has given me an understanding of how water looks and flows. Capturing that movement inspires many of my landscapes.”
Carroll said he has also recently enjoyed painting the energy of crowded beach scenes.
A 1978 graduate of Bluefield High School, Carroll played football and ran track. His family owned a grocery store, Burkhart and Carroll, which his father, Arthur Carroll, ran until he closed it and became manager at ACME. His mother, Barbara Carroll, taught algebra at Fairview Junior High School and Bluefield Middle School.
The Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation (BARC) is proud to host Carroll’s first exhibit in the area, which will be the Gallery’s fourth art exhibit of 2024, according to corporation officials.
“In addition to offering movies, music, dance, and live theater in downtown Bluefield, BARC is also committed to bringing fine art to the city,” said Mimi Merritt, chair of BARC’s Gallery committee. “Dr. Carroll’s willingness to exhibit his work in our Gallery gifts us with an opportunity to showcase and sell beautiful and fascinating work by an artist with deep roots right here in Bluefield.”
BARC is a community-based non-profit that owns the Granada Theater and Raleigh Street Cinemas, offering first-run movies and multiple other entertainment options throughout the year. BARC also manages the Paine Gallery in the Bluefield Arts Center, holding free exhibits with different artists on a rotating schedule.
The theater, cinemas, and gallery are also available for rent for private events. For rental information, contact Tim Smith at 304.887.2378. For more information on BARC, visit barc.wv@org
Contact Greg Jordan at
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com