Women of W.Va. Art Expo Set for March 8

Fairmont State Student Government is sponsoring a Women of West Virginia Art Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the Turley Center Ballroom.

The event is intended to be a celebration of the dynamic and diverse creations of some talented West Virginian women: Lotus MacDowell, Kathy Hanby, Charlotte Meade, Carolyn Crislip-Tacy, Trish Dowling and Mary Jo Schick.

"We're surrounded by talented, creative women in West Virginia," said Laurie Johnston, Director of Student Activities. "We wanted the opportunity to share their work with the Fairmont community. I'm hoping by them being here with their work and talking with people, that this will inspire others to tap into their artistic talents. Each woman works in a different medium, so it should be a very diverse exhibition."

MacDowell, a Bridgeport resident, is known for her meticulous depictions of objects and scenery and has been painting since 1972. Her medium is mainly watercolor, using a controlled approach and recording details with accuracy. She is the owner of Artworks, a gallery and custom frame shop in Bridgeport.

Hanby has been a stained glass artist for over a decade and has done crafts since she was 19. Her work spans a wide range of sizes and types and a variety of techniques and decorative glasses often highlighted with stars and jewels. Her pieces are assembled and soldered with a Tiffany-style technique and unique decorate soldering adds another dimension to her work. Born in Wilmington, Del., Hanby has lived in Lost Creek for 29 years.

Meade, a retired educator and Fairmont resident, is the author of "In My Time" A Collection of Poetry and Other Written Expressions." Her writing focuses on her personal experiences, and some of her poems date back to the 1960s. Much of her work is free verse.

Crislip-Tacy, a Fairmont resident, teaches in the Health & Human Performance Department at FSU. While a student at Fairmont State, she elected to take several art classes. From this experience grew a passion for the arts and for pottery in particular. In pottery, she has studied under the guidance of Duke Mieczenkowski, Paul Latos and is currently with Jeff Greenham. She also enjoys painting and working with stained glass.

Dowling, a Morgantown resident, is working on a Bachelor of Arts degree at West Virginia University. Her specialty is creating mosaics from colorful fragments of glass. She also works in pottery and print making.

A native of Pittsburgh, Schick has lived in West Virginia since working on her degree in horticulture at WVU. She travels all over the U.S. to display and sell her unique dyed textiles. She uses tie-dying and batik techniques to create vivid, bright works. She designs and makes some of her own clothing and then adds lustrous colors to turn them into wearable, durable art.

There will be opportunities to purchase some of their work, and light refreshments will be served. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.