Hearts in the Valley: Agnes Carbrey and Ryan Russell
A 10 Year Retrospective
Exhibit of Ryan Russell and Agnes Carbrey Artworks

Show runs from: September 27 – October 29

Reception will be held Friday, October 28 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

When viewing the works of Ryan Russell and Agnes Carbrey, two artists residing in the Shenandoah Valley, you get the sense that they have one heart joined by two styles of painting. Agnes Carbrey’s figures ask the questions; Ryan Russell landscapes answer them. It is the viewer’s job to fill in the dialogue.

Agnes Carbrey creates drawings/paintings and installations which use the human body to explore both light and form through expressive qualities. "I use the human form as my vehicle for posing a question or describing a state of being...then I continue to build my concept in a dialogue...evolving the work...toward a confrontational abstraction."

"Ryan Russell’s’ work is atmospheric landscape with an emotional undercurrent. He repeatedly paints the same motif, like Monet, until he internalizes it, like a musician memorizes a composition and then plays it from the heart."

Both artists are accomplished professionals. Carbrey has an M.F.A. from Parsons School of Design in N.Y. and was nominated for the Provosts’ Award for Teaching Excellence at James Madison University, where she is an adjunct faculty member. Her work is in private and public collections throughout the U.S. and Europe. Russell earned his M.F.A. at James Madison University and teaches painting at Studio 11 in Lexington, VA. His work is included in many corporate collections and his paintings have appeared in several publications including The Artist & the American Landscape by John Driscoll.

This is a show not to be missed. Come and answer the questions.