Exhibition Dates:
March 17 to September 12, 2020

The ART EMPORIUM, in downtown Charleston, opens “7 ARTISTS FROM 1013”, an exhibition of recent work by award winning WV artists. Artists showing work are Helen Chilton, Paula Clendenin, Chris Dutch, Harold Edwards, Brittain McJunkin, Ellie Schaul and Diane White, all represented by the former Art Store at 1013 Bridge Road, Charleston.

A self-taught painter, Sharon Jones is inspired by the world around her.
My lack of formal training reinforces my feeling that my work is truly my own.

Sharon says, “I am inspired by the world around me.  I can see a bird on a post or an interaction between two people as I drive down the street – something inconsequential – and I can't wait to get home to paint. Like anything else, we never truly quit learning, but my lack of formal training reinforces my feeling that my work is truly my own.”

Opens December 16th, 2019

Artist reception during ArtWalk December 19th, 2019 5pm-8pm

A native of Point Pleasant and current resident of Huntington West Virginia, Jesse Thornton was inspired to pick up a camera as a simple excuse to get out of his comfort zone, travel more and document his journeys. Jesse quickly became obsessive about the art of photography and addicted to chasing down the adventures that were born from that obsession. Mr. Thornton says “ there's nothing more gratifying to me than finding that rarely glimpsed scenic vista painted with warm, late evening light; or a lonely, forgotten night sky untouched by artificial lights. I've seen quite a bit of the country through my camera, but nothing makes me more inspired and motivated than capturing my home state of West Virginia.”

Join us for ArtWalk and an artists reception with Jesse Thornton on Friday November 29th, 2019 from 5pm-8pm
at the Art Emporium in Downtown Charleston, WV

Show opens:
Tuesday, Nov.19th, 2019 10:00 AM and runs through Friday, Dec.13th, 2019 6:00 PM

Larry Bragg, Emalea Rupe and Kelsi Boyd will be the featured artists in the Art Emporium gallery.

Their show starts October 15th, 2019 and runs through November 15th, 2019
An artists reception will be during ArtWalk October 19th, 2019 5pm-8pm

Artist Clayton Spangler embraces the B&W medium of photography in his latest show delivering stunning visuals that are sure to capture the viewer’s imagination.

“Black and white, and especially infrared (photography) has to be very deliberate” says Clayton “ there is no color to draw you in so the composition has to be stronger and more interesting to make up for the lack of color.”

From the highlands of WV to the low country of the Carolinas, “Viewpoint” explores the artists perspective and intimate point of view of the familiar as well as abstract in this latest exhibit of his work.

We invite you to come see Clayton Spangler’s new works at the Art Emporium Gallery.

There will be an opening reception during ArtWalk Thursday September 19th, 2019 5pm-8pm.

Join us for ArtWalk and an artists reception with Karen Shamblin on Thursday July 18th, 2019 from 5pm-8pm
at the Art Emporium in Downtown Charleston, WV

Show opens:
Tuesday,July 16th, 2019 10:00 AM and runs through Friday, August 16th, 2019 6:00 PM

   West Virginia artist Chamblin specializes in still life, floral, bird and animal subjects in oils.  She is a member of The Oil Painters Of America, The Society of Decorative Painters, Women Artists Of America, West Virginia Arts and Crafts Guild, Miniature Art Society Of Florida and The Parkersburg Art Center.
     Subjects for Karen's paintings, flowers and vegetables, come from their gardens and the pottery is from their extensive collection of Bell Pottery.  She also enjoys painting baby animals and birds
    Karen is inspired by the Old Masters and plans to continue her studies with some of the more prominent oil painters of today.

Exhibit opens May 14th through June 14th, 2019

Artist Reception during ArtWalk May 16th, 2019 5pm-8pm

Sue Gregg’s expertise in both wheel work and hand building pottery techniques allow her to create pieces that are beautifully unique as well as functional and compliment any decor.

The glazing and decorations on each piece of pottery are all hand painted. Sue’s handcrafted works are inspired by her interaction with people, nature and her surroundings and are created for visual artistic enjoyment with functionality in mind.

 All pottery is glazed with studio mixed lead-free glazes and fired in an electric kiln for quality consistency. All pots are made from the highest quality clay.

Show opens:

April 18th-May 10th, 2019

Artist reception during ArtWalk Thursday April 18th, 2019 5pm-8pm

Traci Higginbotham has been creating art for as long as she can remember.  Most of her work is abstract and non-expressionistic using bright colors and vivid imagery.

Although born in Centerville, Ohio she moved back to her parents’ home state of West Virginia at the age of 10. She very quickly recognized the beauty of the mountains and the majestic sunsets that appear between them.  Traci entered into the Putnam County Gifted Art Program and was instructed by well-known West Virginia Artist Caryl Toth through her senior year of high school. 

Soon after graduation Toth recommended Traci for a job in one of West Virginia’s top galleries where she was constantly surrounded by local and regional artists who were helping to evolve her own style as painter.  While working at the gallery she also attended the University of Charleston where she graduated in 1997 with degrees in Interior Design and Arts Administration. 

Traci now currently owns and manages the Art Emporium in Downtown Charleston, West Virginia.  Over the past 17 years her job has not only let her focus on her own art but has helped many emerging and established artists share their work with the community. 

Traci is a juried member of Tamarack and of the Allied Artists of West Virginia.  She has participated in several invitational and juried exhibitions as well as solo gallery shows.

Although she has pursued drawing and paper collage focusing on color compositions and patterns, her real love is painting.  Her works have become highly recognizable in Southern West Virginia with her brilliant palette choices on large canvases.  All works are created using acrylic paints and finished with a high gloss varnish.  She feels that she can never decide if a work is finished until the varnish is applied.  The glaze pops the colors and gives life to the darker areas of the painting.

Kathy works mainly in acrylics due to the natural feeling and more of a connection to the paint itself. She also works in pastels for their purity of color, and oils for their richness and textures.
Kathy started her focus on art in college and has studied abroad in England at Kingston on Thames Art School- which led her gaining a new perspective due to the broad variety of art forms she was exposed to during that time.
Kathy’s “Forever Dorothy” is the culmination of her work featuring a Greenbrier Resort. Dorothy Draper was a remarkable woman, and she left an amazing heritage through her impact on the Greenbrier Resort of West Virginia. Having enjoyed the Greenbrier’s decor for the strong elements of Dorothy Drapers flair for design, Kathy wanted to record the richness and boldness of her design in her artwork.

There will be an Artist’s reception during ArtWalk
Thursday December 20th, 2018, 5:00pm-8:00 pm

Join us for ArtWalk on November 23rd from 5-8pm at the Art Emporium in Downtown Charleston, WV for a special art reception with sacred artist, Brian C. Zickafoose.

The Psychedelic Country exhibit will run at Art Emporium from November 13 - December 14.
The works featured at this show are an exploration of light and depth. There are several new landscapes that focus on the magic of famous West Virginia destinations.

This exhibit will also featuring a dozen new tiny original paintings called, PSY-Matics, which are an exploration of how light is expressed through sound.

Viewers can expect a world of eye-candy and painterly wonder.

Exhibit Opening:
October 16th-November 9th, 2018
Artist Reception during ArtWalk
October 18th, 2018  5pm-8pm

Judith B. Douglas was born in Roane County West Virginia, but grew up in Kanawha Valley. During her school years, the things she enjoyed most were art classes.
After retiring from E.I. DuPont in 2001, she picked up her old paint brushes and started attending art classes / workshops led by local as well as national instructors.
She is a member of Allied Artists of West Virginia and the West Virginia Watercolor Society.
Her disciplines include watercolor, acrylics, mixed media. Collage, mono print and woodblock printing.
Judith says “Art relaxes and energizes me. I love the challenge of painting, mixing colors and learning new techniques.”

Jo Anne Jacobs is a native West Virginian. After finishing her teaching career, she fed her interest in art by participating in workshops conducted by local and nationally known artists.
Primarily a watercolorist, Jo Anne also explores her interests in mixed media and oil painting.
Mrs. Jacobs is the recipient of numerus awards with works in the permanent collections of Marshall University and the University of Charleston. She is also a member of the Allied Artists of West Virginia, West Virginia Watercolor Society and the Charleston Calligraphy Guild.
Jo Anne says “I draw inspiration from the world around me. I am influenced by the patterns, textures and repetitions found in nature. Layering these along with color creates a harmony which I love”

 I love architecture as much as I love photography.  It is always a great joy to combine the two, including details of what - and who - I see with the structures close up and from a distance.
These photographs were taken in our state and during travel beyond our borders, as close as our Capitol and as far away as Quebec and California.  They include buildings I see every day and places I saw for the first time.
I look for the same timeless and universal qualities in all of my photographs:  beauty, composition, light, a feeling for the place, and a deeper sense of things, where possible.   I try to apply what I have learned from the twentieth century masters, including Atget, Evans, Post Wolcott, and Cartier-Bresson.

 I still use film cameras because I am still exploring what they can do.  Slides and negatives are scanned as a basis for prints.
I continue to look for ways to make my work accessible and affordable.  All photographs are available from the gallery, upon order, in smaller sizes and with or without mats and frames.
I am always honored when someone tells me they live with one of my photographs on their wall, day in and day out, as I live with the art of others.  How great is that!

Exhibit dates: September 18th-October 12,  2018

Artist reception during ArtWalk
September 20th, 2018  5pm-8pm

A self-taught painter, Sharon Jones is inspired by the world around her.

Sharon says, “I am inspired by the world around me.  I can see a bird on a post or an interaction between two people as I drive down the street – something inconsequential – and I can't wait to get home to paint.  I love all kinds of music.  When I see a musician baring his or her heart and soul playing the guitar or keyboard, my mind starts envisioning how I can communicate on my canvas the intensity of their emotion.”

Show opens:
August 14th-September 14th , 2018
Artwalk:
Thursday August 16th 5pm-8pm

I have been an artist since I discovered the desire to create as a child. I have primarily been working on wood and stone work to create these dimensional pieces and would say they represent a sense of connection to the world we inhabit. The characters express peaceful solitude within their surroundings.

Each piece is uniquely hand crafted and hand painted using acrlyic, oil, and spray paint. To create texture and more depth I use a pointalist approach with many pieces as they come to life.

Exhibit date: July 17th, through August 10th,
Artwalk Date: Thursday July 19th-5:00pm-8:00pm

    At a very early age Sharon knew she wanted to be an artist. Having studied with the influential painter Irving Shapiro in her youth, she began creating her watercolor paintings in 2007.
    Harms’ work reflects an interest in nature, personal observations and her fondest memories. With fluid strokes, unique to watercolor, she attempts to accentuate the highlights, patterns, colors and compositions that are most impressive within a subject to call attention to them.

    Her paintings are done in light-fast watercolor paints on 300lb cold-press watercolor paper. The technique is called transparent Watercolor and no opaque paints are used in their creation. The image is painted from light to dark with overlaying washes of transparent paint until the desired density is achieved.

    There is a story behind every piece of art Sharon Harms creates; her paintings are a unique way for her visually capture and share her thoughts and feelings.

Exhibit date: May 15th, through June 15th, 2018

Artwalk Date: Thursday May 17th-5:00pm-8:00pm

Husband and wife JP Owens and Melinda McCallister Owens have collaborated for an exhibit of their art titled “Mountain State Muse” which will open in September at the Art Emporium in Downtown Charleston.  Both JP and Melinda are Putnam county natives.
 JP is a graduate of West Virginia State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in printmaking.  His work consists primarily of bold graphic designs created through a series of sketches using mixed media.  The scenes often contain animals and landscapes with an occasional addition of Appalachian folklore.  His intense color combos, aboriginal influenced shapes and alien like rhythmic designs are common throughout his work.  His artistic influence derives from Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Henry Moore.  
Melinda received a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Virginia University and a Master of Arts degree from Marshall University. In the past her art has been predominately realistic.  She loves the gritty realism of the printmaking of Kathe Kollwitz, while also admiring the loose and colorful abstractions of Pablo Picasso.  Her husband JP’s style has further enhanced her appreciation of the abstract style.  Melinda also enjoys photography and uses this medium as a bridge to deconstruct her realistic style.  Using her photographs of recognizable environments she alters them with vivid colors to create vibrant compositions.  
JP and Melinda’s show “Mountain State Muse” will be on display September 19th through October 13th, 2017 with an artist reception during Artwalk Thursday September 21st from 5 to 8pm.  Art Emporium is located at 823 Quarrier Street in Downtown Charleston.  Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 to 6 and Saturdays 10 to 4.  For more information contact Art Emporium at 304-345-2787.

Local photographer and world traveler Douglas Maxwell has had the good fortune to embark on memorable adventures from the Far East to the American Southwest.
Douglas has collected a few of his favorite faces and places from all over the world and brought them to the gallery at Art Emporium to share with the capitol city.

Karen Shamblin's paintings will be on display at Art EmporiumJuly 18th. 2017 - August 11th, 2017 and a reception will be held July 20th, 2017 5pm-8pm during ArtWalk

Karen Chamblin specializes in still life, floral, bird and animal subjects in oils.  She is a member of The Oil Painters Of America, The Society of Decorative Painters, Women Artists Of America, West Virginia Arts and Crafts Guild, Miniature Art Society Of Florida and The Parkersburg Art Center.
Karen says of her work "I want to communicate to the viewer the beauty I see around me. My still life paintings are painted from life when possible. The flowers come from my gardens and the animal paintings are from the farms in my area."

Our June featured artist for Artwalk will be Tonie Garrett. Her technique is to paint and draw all in the same strokes after initially under-painting to assure harmony in her work, creating a painting style that reflects an impressionistic and painterly look. Subjects vary from flora from the garden, to children in her family and grandchildren of special friends. Landscapes are Tonie's newest endeavor and she says painting water is a thrill to her. It's Tonie desire to share her love of nature and color through her paintings and stir the instilled emotions of the viewer! Exhibit dates are June 13 - July 14th, 2017

Emily Roles is an artist from Charleston, WV who has been represented by the Art Emporium for the past 10 years.  Emily is also a juried member of the Allied Artist of West Virginia, and a member of the WV Chapter of the National League of Pen Women.  Her most recent works include bright abstracts and her whimsical scenery.  Emily works predominately in acrylics and has exhibited throughout the state for more then 30 years.