Southwest Virginia Museum Displays WPA Paintings at MECC 

Mountain Empire Community College is once again joining with the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park to bring a special exhibit to the college's campus.  The current exhibit, entitled "Community Art:  The WPA Federal Art Project in Big Stone Gap", will be displayed in the Slemp Gallery at MECC until February 15.  Museum director Sharon Ewing states that the exhibit is another example of the ongoing partnership with MECC's library gallery and art department in an effort to expose more people to the museum's collection.

The exhibit features 11 oil painting portraits by Works Progress Administration (WPA) artists.  The WPA is considered the most famous of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs with its purpose to combat the devastating effects of the Great Depression.  It supported many artists by funding the creation of numerous paintings, murals, and sculpture that now decorate public buildings nationwide.

The exhibit at MECC features the work of various WPA employees, including some who were artists in residence in Big Stone Gap, which was the location of the Commonwealth's first WPA gallery.  This gallery was housed on the third floor of the elementary school at the time, and exhibited pieces by metal workers, weavers, potters, as well as painters. 

"The WPA brought art from all over the country and world to the gallery in Big Stone Gap," states Ewing.  She says that the gallery also hosted public programs and art classes for all ages.  In some cases, art class participants in the community had the opportunity to have their art exhibited at the Big Stone Gap gallery, and in other cases these community artists' work was sent to galleries across the country for viewing.

The oil paintings on display in the current exhibit include portraits of various historical government figures in Virginia.  Represented in the display are governors, senators, delegates, State Supreme Court justices, and State Constitution contributors, all with a connection to southwestern Virginia.  The exhibit also features information about the WPA artist who painted each portrait.  Interestingly, one of the WPA artists whose work is featured in the show is James True, who went on to become the first curator of the Southwest Virginia Museum after C. Bascom Slemp's death in 1943. 

Ewing says that the museum plans to place another exhibit at MECC in the summer.  The Slemp Gallery is located in the Wampler Library of Robb Hall. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

A portrait of former Virginia governor James Tyler is featured by the Southwest Virginia Museum in an exhibit currently on display in MECC's Slemp Gallery.  The portrait was painted by WPA artist James True, the first curator of the museum.