Lois Stephens is a local artist who focuses on painting the harmony found in her home, southwest Virginia, and is the latest artist featured in the first-floor Lansdell art gallery until April 12.
As a child, Stephens had severe near-sightedness. Once corrected, she became fascinated by light, shadow, and color, which she now captures in her art, depicting landscapes of the New River Valley, Giles County, and other local scenes.
“These expressions reflect a love of the outdoors, the natural world and this beautiful home we call the New River Valley. In many cases, rather than paint what I see, I paint the colors and harmony that I want to see,” said Stephens.
Stephens’ work has been featured in solo shows at the Holtzman Alumni Center gallery at Virginia Tech, the Montgomery Museum & Lewis Miller Regional Art Center in Christiansburg, and various venues in Blacksburg.
Linda Shroyer, wife of Walter Shroyer, professor, and chair of art and design selects work to feature in the gallery found at regional art shows or festivals. Linda, the current BC gallery director of two years, met Stephens through the Blacksburg Regional Art Association in which they are both members.
A graduate of Mary Baldwin College, Stephens is a double concentration in art and communication and has more than 25 years of experience as a graphic designer for Virginia Tech. She served as the marketing manager for Continuing and Professional Education until 2014, where she led a team designing brochures, websites, press releases, displays, and marketing initiatives.
Now, Stephens teaches oil painting for Virginia Tech’s Lifelong Learning Institute and paints in her studio in an old classroom at Newport Community Center.
Since established in 1993, the Lansdell art gallery has organized over sixty shows, hosting six art shows per year. Each gallery runs for about six weeks, featuring four regional artists and two student shows during the year.
The Shroyers try to showcase work from recent art graduates in the area, including Radford University, Virginia Tech, and Marshall University. This allows Bluefield College students to be exposed to new styles of artwork and helps build the resumes of recent college graduates in our area.
Stephens’ work will be displayed until April 12. Contact Walter Shroyer ( [email protected]) for inquiries about purchasing a piece or hosting a gallery.