Throughout the course of An Appalachian Summer Festival, we invite the public to enjoy work by several talented artists from our local community at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Artwork is displayed on both the main and mezzanine levels of the Schaefer Center lobby, and many of the works are offered for sale!
Featuring works by Pam Ayoub (quilting), Vickie Beaver (painting), Alex Hallmark (sculpture/bronzes), Jane Meyers (original jewelry), Camille Reed (painting) and Alice Roess (ink drawing).
An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts wish to thank Dr. Alice Roess for the inspiration she provided for this exhibition program.
Work by Pam Ayoub
Work by Vickie Loflin Beaver
Work by Alex Hallmark
Work by Jane Meyers
Work by Camille Reed
Work by Alice Roess
About the artist
Pam Ayoub
Color and texture have inspired Pam Ayoub since she was a young woman. As Pam explains, “My favorite dress as a teenager was hot pink and orange. Watching how colors blend with each other, showing each other off and creating patterns and light is amazing. Nothing makes me happier than finding the perfect pieces of fabric to complete a project– creating that perfect dazzling array. My background is business and my husband and I bought a retail store in Blowing Rock called Feather Your Nest. I was in my element. It was filled with fun, color and whimsy. I was always looking for the next wonderful find to share with my customers. Then came quilting. I was one of those people that never finished a project. Painting, pottery, handwork, etc. With quilting I can hardly wait to finish every piece quickly to see the final result. I hope you enjoy my work. Absolute perfection is not my ultimate goal. Making myself smile is.”
Vickie Loflin Beaver
Vickie Loflin Beaver has devoted more than thirty years to her profession in Long Term Care administration and is currently the President of Choice Health Management Services, which operates fifteen skilled and assisted living facilities. However, Vickie has a life-long love for art and painting, and devotes as much time as possible to her hobby and passion for creating beautiful paintings. She has displayed and sold her work at numerous venues. In the past she has taught art at Davidson County Community College and Randolph County Community College. In addition to her devotion to painting Vickie enjoys traveling, pottery, gardening and going to sporting events with her husband, Donald Beaver, with whom she resides in Catawba County, North Carolina. Vickie is the loving mother of Christie Garner and proud grandmother to Hannah and Stephen Garner.
Alex Hallmark
Working mainly in water-base clays, sculptor Alex Hallmark molds, casts and finishes his work in bonded materials at his studio in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. He further utilized national foundries for casting in bronze. Renowned for his work, he is an Associate of the National Sculpture Society, as well as a Member of Tri-State Sculptors. Alex’s work can be seen in a number of locations, including St. James Episcopal Church (Monkton, MD), St. Martin’s Episcopal Church (Houston, TX), Grandfather Home for Children, and at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, Davant Field and the Veterans Memorial Park in Blowing Rock. He created life portraits of Sen. Sam Ervin Jr. (Morganton, NC), Doc Watson (Boone, NC) and Morganton’s WWII Memorial. The artist’s works are also in the collections of individuals and institutions across the United States and Europe.
Jane Meyers
When Jane Meyers hears herself referred to as an artist, she responds as follows: “Artist? It depends who is defining my joy of fulfilling dreams through imagination. It started as a child making bracelets and chains out of dandelion stems. Fascinating to me. Once grown, I could not devote my time to “my secret pleasure” of making things. Although in the 70s I did have the honor of making some large statement pieces for Beverly Sills, the opera singer. I also was asked to make 30 pieces for the soap opera As the World Turns. Aside from that, I only did commissioned pieces when time would allow. To me, personal adornment is a tangible connection between our past, present and future. I am eager to share with you this enduring art form and the cultural contexts that we all share. My pieces are only as good as my ability to be able to share them with others. I hope you enjoy!”
Camille Reed
The work of Camille Reed can be described as happy and colorful. The lyrical quality of her paintings reflects the personal style of her life with attention to quiet beauty and natural elegance. Born in Georgia, Camille came to Blowing Rock from Mobile, Alabama, where she and her family lived for a number of years. The recipient of a B.A. from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, she has taken art classes at the University of South Alabama and has studied with Don Andrews, Charles Reid, Alex Powers, and Skip Lawrence. Camille works in a variety of media including oils, acrylics, and watercolors. Her subject matter is unlimited. Camille enjoys working on location but also paints in her studio. She no longer shows in galleries, but her paintings continue to hang in beautiful homes throughout the South. Camille loves her life in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoys many walks with her husband, Robert A. Reed, M.D. and their wonderful Standard French Poodles, Beau and Belle.
Alice Roess
A passion for creating whimsical ink drawings of pets she knows—dogs and cats alike—fills Alice Roess’s spare time, with all proceeds from any sale going directly to the Watauga County Humane Society. When she is not drawing, one of Dr. Roess’s favorite pursuits is caring for her “Twilight Garden”—all white flowers that come into bloom in stages throughout the Spring/Summer/Fall seasons in her mountain garden, which she opens periodically to various charities. Her “Twilight Garden” in Florida garnered several awards, and she hopes to replicate the same type of garden in our beautiful mountains. Serving as chair of the Appalachian State University Trustees, Dr. Roess is also a Mountaineer, through and through.