Charles with students from Eastern Mennonite School picking up trash.
It was a busy weekend for Rockingham Rotary Club and Eastern Mennonite School’s Interact Club as they teamed up to pick up trash along Rt. 42 in Rockingham County. As a sponsor and liaison between these two clubs, Charles helps these clubs collaborate on projects. This clean up effort happens twice a year and and is necessary for keeping our community clean. The sunshine and cheerful volunteers made this weekend’s cleanup extra special!
The work of Rotary is known around the world for putting service above self. This organization’s main work is to eradicate Polio worldwide, to build friendships through service to the community, and to make the world a better place. Charles says that seeing the energy and enthusiasm of the Interact members inspires him to do more service for the community. If you want to be involved in serving your community or have a potential service project, feel free to reach out to Charles to learn more about the power of Rotary or learn more here and here.
Later into the weekend, we were thrilled to join the 10th Anniversary celebration of the Scholars Latino Initiative. This organization goes beyond an after-school program or mentor pairing system or college preparation group. SLI is a family that supports each other to help fulfill dreams, break down barriers, share frustrations, and achieve goals. Their mission reads “Scholars Latino Initiative supports Latino/a/x high school students with college access through rigorous academic challenge, leadership development, scholarships, and supportive mentorships.”
The celebration last night was filled with fun and friends as well as incredible Latino inspired foods. There were celebrations of past successes and reunions of old friends. Lua Project played a fusion of Appalachian and Latino music and the medleys were magical.
The important work being done through SLI is critical for our community. We all need to come together to help one another and those that are the most marginalized need systems in place like SLI to find their full potential.
Congratulations on 10 years, we look forward to the next decade.
Next in our lineup of First Friday artists is local painter, Wendy Bowers Lam. We are looking forward to hosting Wendy on Friday, October 7th from 5:00-7:00PM, and invite everyone to visit the event page here. Get to know Wendy before the gallery opening by checking out her biography below.
Wendy enjoys painting with bold colors and whimsical subject matter. She is drawn to curious cow expressions and gentle sheep she photographs while hiking in Scotland. She finds inspiration for subject matter in an African safari, or a trip to Key West seeing strutting roosters. Wendy also photographs rural barns, garden flowers, Blue Ridge Mountains and vineyard fields for local inspiration and beauty. Watercolor paintings are intricate depictions of bees, fish, and insects among other animals.
Wendy grew up on Paul Street in Old Town Harrisonburg. She graduated from Harrisonburg High and then the University of Virginia. She taught middle school language arts in Augusta and Rockingham County until staying home with three children. Always interested in artistic pursuits, Lam took some classes at The Beverley Street Studio School in Staunton as an adult and began to paint in oils. She is a juried member of the Co-Art Gallery in Staunton and has exhibited professionally there for over 10 years. Wendy also exhibits in state juried shows such as the VMRC Art Show, Art at the Mill, the Bath County Art Show, Blue Ridge Community College and Two Rivers Colony Country Club (Williamsburg). Lam’s solo shows include the Smith House Galleries at the Arts Council of the Valley, Ox Eye Vineyards (Staunton), Aioli Restaurant, Shenandoah Pizza (Staunton), and Clementine’s Restaurant.
She currently teaches some watercolor/mixed media classes at JMU’s Lifelong Learning Institute. Wendy is very active in the community as a CASA volunteer, a board member of both the Explore More Children’s Museum and Kerus Global Education, and is active in the Spotswood Garden Club. She is a lifelong runner and reader.
Janine Aberg’s art will be featured during the First Friday Gallery Opening on September 2nd.
In September, we are excited to share another talented local artist, Janine Aberg. Janine is one of two artists who will be featured during our First Friday gallery opening on September 2nd, from 5-7pm. To learn more about the event and RSVP, visit the event page here.
Janine (South African) and her husband Simon (Sweden) met in Hawaii. They lived in Harrisonburg for a number of years and now they own a small farm in Keezletown, VA where they run River Mountain Farm And Life Center (See more at www.artbyJanine.com). Janine and Simon have three beautiful girls Arowin, Katanyah and Soercha.
Janine is a passionate artist. She processes life through art and finds true solace in her times in front of a fresh canvas or wall. Art is a form of meditation for Janine and gives her time to connect the spiritual and physical aspects of life. Janine gives herself fully to whatever she sets her mind to and she finds satisfaction in a life fully lived.
Janine is a fine artist, muralist, and dancer. Her art is strongly influenced by color, light, and by her love for dance, movement, and animals. Her work expresses the wealth of beauty and feeling that is born out of the confluence of suffering and the joy of life. This coupled with complexity in design makes Janine a truly unique artist. She is deeply influenced by her country of origin (South Africa), living in Hawaii, and travelling around the world.
In their time in Harrisonburg Janine painted murals in every room in their town house, creating a taste of different countries and otherworldly places. She has also painted murals in a number of Harrisonburg homes and businesses including Dick Myers, Sentara RMH wellness center, J. Frank Hillyard Middle school to mention a few. Janine loves to connect her many passions, like her passion for psychology, peacebuilding, animals, and dance. She has found joy in her art being used on the cover of books especially “to stir &” by Nikia Chaney. Her art also hangs in Eastern Mennonite University.
Her preferred mediums are oil and acrylic. She loves to experiment with the intersectionality between fine art, dance, theater, music, and healing. She does portraiture, landscape, murals, body painting (especially for pregnant mothers), and social justice pieces.
The artist holds a BA in Performing Arts from the University of the Nations, and an MA in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. Janine has won prices at fine art competitions on the Hawaiian Islands, including the Kona Coffee Arts Festival and the Waimea Arts Council. She has worked for a summer with Philadelphia Mural Arts and has exhibited with a group of fantastic artists at the Olympic games in the UK 2012.
Her art hangs in many countries including the USA, South Africa, China, Germany, Sweden, and England.
Our second artist we are excited to feature in September is Saloma Furlong. To learn more about the First Friday art gallery opening, visit the event page here.
Saloma Furlong was born and raised in an Amish community in northeastern Ohio. With the eighth-grade education of her childhood, she acquired her GED, enrolled in community college courses, and became an Ada Comstock Scholar at Smith College. She studied at the University of Hamburg in Germany for a semester. At fifty, she graduated with a major in German Studies and a minor in Philosophy. Furlong is the author of three books, and her story has been featured in two PBS American Experience films, “The Amish” and “The Amish: Shunned.” She is the mother of two grown sons and lives in Virginia with her husband, David.
Saloma will share her book, Liberating Lomie at the gallery opening. In this personal and moving memoir, Saloma (Lomie) traces the genesis of her desire for freedom and education and chronicles her conflicted quest for independence. She recalls her painful childhood in a family defined by her father’s mental illness, her brother’s brutality, her mother’s severe punishments, and the austere traditions of the Amish—traditions she struggled to accept for years before making the difficult decision to leave the community. Eloquently told, Liberating Lomie is a revealing portrait of life within—and without—this frequently misunderstood community.
Also available at the gallery opening will be her book, Bonnet Strings: an Amish Woman’s ties to Two Worlds. In this poignant coming-of-age memoir, Saloma’s freedom allows her to thrive in her new life in Vermont. Then late one night, her freedom comes to an abrupt end when members of her Amish community arrive to take her back into the fold. Thus begins a years-long struggle of feeling torn between two worlds. Bonnet Strings offers a universal story of overcoming adversity and a rare look inside an Amish community. Readers will find a story of competing desires between freedom and belonging.
Aside from writing books, Saloma is also the creator of handmade rugs. These beautiful works of art will be available at the gallery opening.
Aaron Zook will feature “Method in Madness” during this month’s First Friday gallery opening.
Mark your calendars for another First Friday art gallery opening at the Depot! This month’s show “Method in Madness” is presented by local artist, Aaron Zook. He is a self-taught photographer, born and raised in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The Method in Madness show focuses on the small, quiet moments that punctuate our daily grind. Moments of professionalism, thought, care, routine, and wisdom gained from years of experience are what continually inspire Aaron. In his words, “the world is madness, held together by the fascinating methods of the human mind. This one is for the craftsmen.”
This free event will be held from 5:00-7:00pm on August 5th and is open to everyone. The Gaines Group will provide snacks and refreshments and encourage everyone to RSVP on the event page here.
Everyone who works closely with Charles knows of his heart for serving others and his mission to build a better community. His leadership and efforts were officially recognized by Rotary as he was the recipient of the 110% Award in 2022. This special designation is given to an individual who grows the mission of Rotary, carries out responsibilities exceptionally, and makes significant leadership contributions. He intentionally looks for ways to put #servicebeforeself and shares his intentions with others. He points out that his work is just a small part of what Rotary does for the community and a small part of what the Rotary Club of Rockingham County does in the community.
Charles being awarded the 110% Award.
Whether volunteering with fellow Rotarians or tackling pro-bono architecture projects, Charles is making a lasting impact in our community and we are so proud of him. His efforts are a small piece of the puzzle in creating a stronger, better community and he inspires many of us to do the same. As he says, the power of Rotary is the people you volunteer with and the difference you can make when you all come together.
