April 3 - April 28 in Gallery I
williston area visual artists (wava) group show
in Gallery I
The James Memorial Art Center is proud to present the Williston Area Visual Artists Group Show. The exhibit opens on Monday, April 3rd. A public reception will be held on Thursday, April 13th, from 7-8:30 PM in honor and memory of Linda Beard, a long-time WAVA member and great supporter of the James and art/artists in the Williston area.
“Williston Area Visual Artists (WAVA) is proud to dedicate this art show to Linda Beard, our departed dear friend and member of our club. As a club, our mission is to provide a nurturing and supportive environment by which artists will feel inspired and encouraged, and thereby further enhance the enthusiasm of the art community. Linda embraced this mission. Being the owner of Castle Framing, she had the opportunity to see many artworks and meet many artists in her career as she matted and framed artwork. It would be anyone’s guess how many people in Williston own a piece Linda has framed.
Through her business, Linda brought in artists to teach classes for the community. In the process, Linda honed her skills as an artist. Her business kept her from getting involved in WAVA for a while, but once she joined, she embraced the club. She nudged beginning artists to keep practicing, pointed out things that could be changed to make a more effective piece, and often bought beginners pieces to enjoy their successes.
Through the Williston Downtowners Association, Linda was instrumental in providing a venue to encourage artists and expose the community to locally produced art. She encouraged our club to have a presence at Crazy Days and the Art and Wine Walk as well as other community sponsored events. As a result, the club is slowly becoming a known presence in the community. The club has art displayed on utility boxes and Fourth Street Corridor.
Linda served the community with kindness and willingness and was a good listener. She was humble. She was talented in numerous ways. As an art club, we were so thankful that she had the framing business for our needs. She has left a void in our hearts, but also, she left us her legacy of humanity to emulate. We thank her lovingly for being a part of our lives and WAVA.”