Our Art Studio on the campus of Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury (SVWC) features a turret. The top portion is adorned with stained glass by resident, Wil Pieper. Since the studio opened, many inspirational projects have been born there. This distinctive exhibit opening Friday, 11-8, consists of works in varied mediums produced under the tutelage of in-house Art Expert, Gale Bowman-Harlow. SVWC residents, as well as area citizens, take classes from Gale. For this exhibit, over 60 individuals, of all skill levels, are proud to showcase their creativity.

Bowman-Harlow ran Opus Oaks Artisan Gallery for many years, and some of her former students followed her to SVWC. They will all tell you that Gale has a rare gift for drawing out the artist in everyone. She traverses the campus, pushing her “art cart” filled with paints, brushes, papers, magazines used for gleaning ideas, easels, etc. One day she will work with residents in our memory care wing, the next day, she can be found in assisted living, and next she will get back to the studio and the turret.

The works derived via her nurturing technique are often astounding. One resident, at age 95, had never sculpted in her life. She now has half a dozen beautiful sculptures under her belt. An 84-year-old resident who’d never picked up a paintbrush is producing brilliant oil sand loving every moment of it. There is much more going on here than just art. There is an awakening of spirit that is the most exciting part of Gale Bowman-Harlow’s programming.

“Triumph From the Turret” will be on display from 11-8 through 1-5-2020. An artists’ reception takes place this Friday from 5:30 - 7 p.m. Guests are welcome to view the work any day between 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. For further information, contact Kitty Zuckerman, SVWC’s Marketing Communications Specialist and the Art Committee Staff Liaison, at 540-665-5915.