Randolph County Community Arts Center

The creative two- and three-dimensional artwork of Elkins resident Maggi Rhudy will make up a solo exhibition in the Randolph County Community Arts Center’s Maxwell Gallery, which opens Friday, April 10 with an Artist Reception from 5-7 p.m.

Maggi began drawing and painting at an early age. “I always made things,” she says, “whether it was sewing, knitting, macramé, or other fun endeavors.” She grew up in Berlin, Germany where she later met her husband Ed. They married in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she loved the diversity and the many arts and crafts found there. Later, she was able to immerse herself in the visual arts in Toledo, Ohio, where she attended the University of Toledo College of Art and Design located in the Toledo Art Museum, graduating with a BA in Art and a MA in German Literature.

“The richness of German literature, and the immersion into different areas of the visual arts provided a way for me to appreciate the value art brings to life. In the Saturday morning classes offered for gifted children at the Museum I saw the potential of young people and was impressed by the energy and creativity the art teachers shared with their students,” she explains.

After Maggi completed teaching certification in both fields, the Rhudy’s moved to Elkins, with all its beautiful natural surroundings. Here she also learned new and different ways of artistic expression by taking Augusta classes during the summer at Davis and Elkins College. Her long teaching career began with teaching for ArtsBank in the Elkins elementary schools, and later as art teacher at Elkins High School. She continues to teach with the Arts Center and conducts workshops.

“I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of introducing young people to the many ways of artful expression,” Maggi says. “Now that I am retired, I have time to use many of the techniques I learned, and I can do so in a leisurely way. The joy of making things that I love, which can again give joy to others, is very satisfying.”

“I have a little studio where I can spread out and let things evolve, whether it is painting, doing Scherenschnitt, making gourd baskets, or working on printmaking. I am most inspired by nature and have been studying local wildlife, wildflowers and trees, which I like to depict in my work,” she says. “The outcome is an eclectic collection of pieces connected somehow by subject matter, color, line, movement, texture and beauty.”

Maggi Rhudy’s Exhibit, which she calls “Art Works by an Eclectic Artist,” will be on display through the end of May in the Maxwell Gallery. The Maxwell Gallery was named to honor one of the founding board members of the Randolph County Community Arts Center, Judge Robert E. Maxwell. His immediate family donated the funds to decorate the room in 2002, and it has been used since as a classroom and meeting space in the Arts Center. The Maxwell Room now serves an additional use as a solo exhibition space for RCCAC artist members. The Rhudy exhibit will be open from 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Fridays, Friday nights from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Arts Center will be closed Easter Saturday, April 12.

The Randolph County Community Arts Center, a non-profit organization promoting and supporting the arts in Randolph County and surrounding areas, is located at the corner of Randolph Avenue and Park Street in Elkins.

RCCAC is committed to providing accessibility to individuals with disabilities. If you are in need of an accommodation, please contact our office in advance. Call the RCCAC office at 637-2355 or log onto www.randolpharts.org for more information.

RCCAC Members Exhibit To Open May 8 in Great Hall

The Randolph County Community Arts Center announces a fine arts exhibition of the recent works of its 2008-2009 artist members will open Friday, May 8 with an Artists Reception from 5-7 p.m. The reception is open to the public and the exhibit runs through June 30.

Scheduled artists exhibiting include Lauren Adams, Becky Amorese, JoAnn Barlow, Brad Basil, Jack Basil, Becky Blackley, Ruth Blackwell Rogers, Margo Blevin Denton, Brenda Bonnes, Paul Bonnes, Tammy Copeman, Michael Doig, Don Hall, Marie Hill, Mary Ann Honcharik, Andrew Johnson, Joan Kefover, Alain Kieny, Fran Kordek, Mike Ledden, Chet Lowther, Carolyn Mann, Donnell McCoy, Ken McCoy, Deborah McHenry, Joe McInroy, Suzan Morgan, June Myles, Alice Neitzert, Derek Overfield, Susan Pell, Dave Shombert, Debbie Sorensen, Ken Waddell, Linda Walker-Roberts, Monica Wilkins, and Kevin Woodcock.

The Randolph County Community Arts Center strives to support and promote the arts and artists of Randolph County and the surrounding areas. RCCAC artist members, including visual artists, musicians, and writers, have the opportunity to be included on the RCCAC Artist Registry, receive a reduced entry fee to the Annual Juried Gala Exhibit, and receive notification of exhibit and performance opportunities at RCCAC as well as other venues. In addition, RCCAC artist members receive e-mail notification of workshop and grant opportunities for artists as the RCCACC receives them.

The exhibit will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Friday evenings from 5-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. The Randolph County Community Arts Center, a non-profit organization promoting and supporting the arts in Randolph County and surrounding areas, is located at the corner of Randolph Avenue and Park Street in Elkins.

The Randolph County Community Arts Center is accepting submissions to its Eighth Annual Juried Art Exhibition to be on display from September 2 - 24, 2009. The deadline for entries is a postmark date of July 7, 2009 and the exhibit is open to all artists over 18. Original two and three-dimensional works completed since January 2006 and not previously exhibited at RCCAC are eligible. Acceptable media include painting, sculpture, photography, clay, fiber, wood, glass, or metal. (Jewelry not accepted at this time.) Over $1,500 in prizes will be awarded.

The juror for this exhibit is Bill Vrscak. Vrscak is a free-lance artist/illustrator and signature member of the American Watercolor Society. He is a realist painter whose work reflects a strong sense of freshness and simplicity, consistent with his attitude that "the simplest statements make the most impact."

A frequent national award winner, his work is widely published. Bill studied painting and design at the Ivy School of Art in Pittsburgh. After 18 years in the advertising business he went his own way to paint and teach. Besides doing illustration and commission work, he currently teaches workshops and seminars throughout the United States as well as Canada.

He is a member of the American Watercolor Society, Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and Pittsburgh Watercolor Society. His juried exhibitions and awards include: American Watercolor Society, NYC; Audubon Artists National Exhibition, NYC-Silver Medal Award and Sadie and Max Tessar Award; the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibit, Grumbacher Award; Kentucky Aqueous, Louisville, KY, Reliance Universal Merit Award; Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Annual, Best of Show and PWS Awards.

Vrscak will conduct a two-day Watercolor Workshop September 12-13 for intermediate and advanced artists entitled “Watercolor: Making Every Stroke Count.” Cost for the workshop is $100 for both days.

A prospectus can be obtained by calling the RCCAC office at 637-2355 or by logging onto www.randolpharts.org. Up to 3 pieces of artwork may be submitted per artist, but the images must all be in the same format. Format may be slides, JPEGS on disc, or photos, as outlined in the prospectus.

This year’s Gala Exhibit is sponsored by the Elkins Regional Convalescent Center, located on the Beverly Five Lane - South of Elkins. ERCC is a non-profit organization dedicated to nursing home services for both skilled and intermediate care residents. The Gala Opening Reception will be Friday, September 11 from 6-10.