On September 6th from 5:00pm-7:00pm, we are thrilled to host a First Fridays Gallery Opening at The Depot featuring artist Charlotte Shristi (she/her)! Join us to welcome Charlotte and view her gallery entitled “The Elephant in the Room”, and to enjoy refreshments and community. RSVP for this event on Facebook here and get to know Charlotte more in her biography below!

Bio:

Charlotte grew up in rural Iowa and studied at Goshen College, IN, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Art and a B.A. in Psychology in 2000.  In addition to her studio work as a visual artist, she has taught as an elementary and private art instructor and served as director of a nonprofit arts organization. She explored using art-making as a healing process in different settings, including with unhoused people in D.C. and with survivors of war and other trauma in Colombia and Nepal where she worked in the peacebuilding field for a number of years.  Currently, Charlotte lives in the Shenandoah Valley with her husband and two children, working out of her home art studio.  Since 2018 she has also worked as a practitioner and teacher of a traditional Native American hot stone massage method called Stone Medicine. Her private practice is called Wild Poppy Healing Arts.

Artist Statement:

Charlotte grew up in rural Iowa and studied at Goshen College, IN, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Art and a B.A. in Psychology in 2000.  In addition to her studio work as a visual artist, she has taught as an elementary and private art instructor and served as director of a nonprofit arts organization. She explored using art-making as a healing process in different settings, including with unhoused people in D.C. and with survivors of war and other trauma in Colombia and Nepal where she worked in the peacebuilding field for a number of years.  Currently, Charlotte lives in the Shenandoah Valley with her husband and two children, working out of her home art studio.  Since 2018 she has also worked as a practitioner and teacher of a traditional Native American hot stone massage method called Stone Medicine. Her private practice is called Wild Poppy Healing Arts.

Brief Description of Work:

My art-making involves various forms of layering. I layer acrylic paint, collage materials and mark-making, using graphite, charcoal, marker, etc. I sometimes sketch onto a painted surface or let marks bleed through the paint from below.  The spontaneous marks of children inspire me, and I sometimes incorporate the marks of my own children in my work. I also love to layer abstract brushstrokes with realistic or representational imagery.  Inspiration from the natural world includes birds, animals, trees, stones and bones, as well as the human form and face. For me, artistic creation has always been a way to process the world.  It’s healing, play, prayer and storytelling.  Sometimes I know the story I want to tell, but often the story chooses me, revealing itself in the making or after the work is complete.  Much of my work has come out of my struggle to understand our place as humans on this blue planet.

“The Elephant in the Room” Sneak Peek

On August 2nd, from 5:00pm-7:00pm, we are thrilled to host a First Fridays Gallery Opening at The Depot featuring artist Aaron Moyer! Join us to welcome Aaron and view his photography exhibition entitled An Ode to the Unnoticed, and to enjoy refreshments and community. RSVP for this event on Facebook here and get to know him more in his biography below!

Bio:

Aaron is a 23-year-old amateur photographer from the Shenandoah Valley. He recently graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a major in Biology and a minor in Art. The subjects of his photography range from large landscapes to tiny bugs, focusing mostly on capturing the essence of the natural world. Apart from photography, he enjoys listening to and creating music, making yummy coconut curries, playing pickleball, and spending time with friends.

Artist Statement:

An Ode to the Unnoticed

Through the lens of a camera, the Shenandoah Valley is transformed from a small, ordinary dot on Earth into an impressively diverse and intrinsically beautiful landscape. Walking around with a camera in my hand has been a physical reminder to pay attention to the details of the world around me, and to capture the unnoticed features of life that we often forget to appreciate. In my view, a good photograph helps us remember that our lives are drenched in art and that the only barrier to unlocking a lifetime of free exhibitions lies in our perspectives and willingness to observe. 

“An Ode to the Unnoticed” Sneak Peek

Bio

Artist Statement

“Rising” Sneak Peek