Laurence Heine is among the talented group of creators contributing to our First Friday holiday event and gallery opening on December 2nd at the Depot. Laurence has previously shown his work at the Depot and we are grateful to have him return! Get to know Laurence and his photography in his biography below.
Sunset Beach Sunrise, photo captured at Sunset Beach, NC
“I have been interested in photography since childhood, when I mostly photographed railroads and steam engines – I remember my first camera was a plastic Kodak box camera. I was a photographer for my high school and college yearbooks and my college newspaper, and for two years I was the college yearbook photographic editor.
Over the years I have amassed boxes of slides and photos, many of which have never been looked at. Since switching to digital cameras, I have also taken thousands of digital images (more than 2000 images during an 18-day trip to National Parks in the west in 2015).
I am primarily interested in photographing nature and scenery, ranging from butterflies and insects to sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, waterfalls, wildlife, and scenic panoramas. I also enjoy photographing ‘distressed’ (as in abandoned or forlorn) buildings and objects and am now doing a lot of macro (extreme close-up) photography.
My desire is to capture specific moments or scenes that are meaningful to me, so I can share those moments or scenes so others can enjoy them too, whether by displaying a mounted and framed print or by sharing them online.
I mount and frame my best or favorite photographs so others can appreciate them, too. I have displayed photos at the Rockingham County Fair, The Smith House Gallery, Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, in the offices of Dr. Stacie Dietz and Appalachian Physical Therapy, at The Gaines Group Architects, and at the Staunton Innovation Hub. I received two First Place awards in the 2018 Rockingham County Fair and a First and a Second Place award in the 2022 Rockingham County Fair.
Because almost every photo has a story, my wife, Beverly, and I started a photo blog (www.blinspirations.com) featuring some of our photos and describing the circumstances which led to the photo being taken, as well as information about the location of the photo and some technical aspects of the photo.”
Mae Stoll will be featured during November’s First Friday Gallery Opening.
The walls of the Depot continue to shine with local artist’s work and we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the arts in our community. With only two more gallery openings left this year, we are excited to feature artist Mae Stoll at the Depot on Friday, November 4th. The gallery opening will be from 5:00-7:00PM and as always, the event is free and open to everyone! Get to know Mae before the event by reading her bio below.
Originally from the island of Malta, new artist Mae Stoll moved to Virginia three years ago after more than 40 years in Texas. She thinks that it was the beauty of the Valley that inspired her to buy her first set of acrylics late in 2020 and start dabbling. Not having any formal art instruction aside from a couple of elective art classes in college, Mae is still adjusting to her late-in-life “art awakening” and new identity as an artist. She says, “…sometimes, things flow, and life is good. Other times, the work is mentally and emotionally exhausting; but somehow, it always feels like it’s what I should be doing.”
In addition to her success at local area art festivals, Mae was the featured artist at the Crozet Artisan Depot last April, and some of her work can be found at Cabell Gallery in Lexington. She was also recently awarded first place in the Painting category at a local fall foliage festival this month! Mae also makes lovely wire-wrapped jewelry, which can be seen along with her many paintings on her website www.adornmentsbymae.com .
Learn more about the event and RSVP on our event page here.
We hold to our belief that it requires action, time, and energy to build a stronger, more vibrant community. Community has many scales and our collective actions create a ripple effect. Last week Charles had a full schedule of events and he was reminded of the value each of us plays in serving our community. He attended his regular Tuesday morning Rotary Club of Rockingham County meeting which focused on Polio vaccinations around the world. This terrible disease is very close to eradication but simultaneously on the brink of another worldwide outbreak. The work of Rotarians to raise awareness, money, and to take action has made a significant difference with now only two countries in the world reporting wild Polio cases. As an aside, there has been a minor outbreak in a small community in New York, but it is not reported as a wild outbreak. These cases in New York remind everyone of the critical importance of vaccinations.
After Rotary, Charles headed South to Mary Baldwin University to talk sustainability with business majors. The first class he participated in consisted of freshman students who were eager to discuss and learn how an architect applies sustainability to their work. The excellent conversation and questions showed these students have deep desires to understand the impacts business has on the environment how they can be a part of creating a better future for everyone. The second class was a small group of students who have a primary focus and deep understanding of sustainability in business. The conversation was focused on how to build a sustainable business using the three principles of sustainability; people, planet, and profit.
Charles hit the road after meeting with the MBU students and went directly to Eastern Mennonite School for a second day of teaching Sketch Up and floor plan creation to high school students. The class is tasked with designing a 900 square foot house with 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom as a tool to learn this software and create three dimensional spaces.
To round out his day of service, Charles participated in a spirit night that he helped organize at Harmony Square Dairy Queen. Named “Pints for Polio” this twist on a traditional fundraiser is an annual event that raises Polio awareness in a family0friendly environment.
Not all of our days can be this jam-packed with community service, but is not lost on us how it takes many hands and willing hearts to intentionally build a better, stronger, more vibrant community.
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.
