SMCAC In-house Art Exhibit - January 2022

(Update 2/4/2022! This beautiful painting has moved next door to us at the Town of Leonardtown office at 22670 Washington Street. The mural is available for purchase for $2,500 with a portion of the sales to go towards St. Mary’s County Arts Council in support of our arts-related programs and community events. Please visit the Town’s website for their current hours of operation.)

St. Mary’s County Arts Council has announced a series of new and exciting In-house Art Exhibits scheduled for this year. Featured will be a variety of works of different media created by guest artists from the local Southern Maryland region.

January launches with a fabulous 8 feet long x 2 feet high acrylic painting, From Agriculture to Art - Wool, Cotton, and Flax by artist Nicole Stewart in collaboration with mural artist Deb McClure, on display now through January 29th at the St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop.

A call for artists to create a mural for the side of a building housing the New View FiberWorks shop served as the inspiration for this project. The theme for this wall was From Agriculture to Art. This painting was created to scale as it was designed as a demo piece for this installation. Although Nicole’s painting did not advance to the next level it did place as one of two finalists. You may view the chosen design by artist Jamie Naluai under construction in the alley off of the Town Square.

From a noble-faced Suffolk ewe, standing in a field of flax and cotton boles against green hills that transform into fantasy fabric swaths of polka dots, stripes, paisley and tartans, the mural design highlights bold and bright colors meticulously interwoven to reflect the personality of the building as well as the nature of the location in the heart of the Arts & Entertainment District in downtown Leonardtown. As an homage to fiber artist and owner of New View FiberWorks, Misti Dayton, a replica of her spinning wheel with skeins of yarn are depicted in the alcove of the building.

Artist Nicole Stewart (who works primarily with oils) described the experience of working with acrylic paints as a challenge, “but collaborating with Deb McClure and creating something amazing for Leonardtown was a joy. I cannot express how grateful I am to the town and the Arts Council for all of the support and opportunities they give artists.”

To view this piece in person visit the St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop located at 22660 Washington St, Leonardtown, MD 20650. The current open hours are 11 AM to 4 PM Wednesday thru Saturday.

To learn more about Nicole Stewart’s art visit her website at: nstwartstudio.com and/or view her artwork on display at The North End Gallery located in Leonardtown, MD. Due to HVAC work, the North End Gallery is currently closed with plans to re-open for regular hours on February 1st.

Click here to learn more about the Arts & Entertainment District in Leonardtown, upcoming events including development of the mural projects, and more arts-related news!

Be sure to check back soon at the Arts Council website to check for announcements about future In-House Art Exhibits!