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Pat Spainhour is a contemporary artist and art educator. She recently retired from teaching Advanced Placement Art History at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Pat has also served as a docent at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, NC.
Pat has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with concentrations in design and art education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with graduate studies at Wake Forest University. She has over 30 years of teaching experience in the visual arts and art history.
Pat Spainhour developed an interest in encaustic painting at Penland School of Crafts, studying under Tremain Smith in 2006.
Pat was awarded the 2009 North Carolina Arts Council Regional Artist Grant, which she used to attend Paula Roland’s Advanced Encaustic Workshop in Santa Fe, NM. In July 2016, Pat assisted Paula Roland in an encaustic monotype workshop at Cullowhee Mountain Arts.
Mike Walsh is a Wilkes County native and has lived within North Carolina all his life. His artistic nature expresses itself in many self taught mediums. Currently he is sculpting in clay as his main form of expression. His love of sculpting began as a small child sculpting animals in clay.
Click the Icon below to tour this exhibition
Wilkes Art Gallery's very first online exhibition!
Held May -June 2020
during the COVID-19 Shutdown
Wilkes County Artists Submitted over 50 pieces and the exhibit was viewed nearly 1000 times!
High Schools
Elementary Schools
Boomer-Ferguson Elementary School
Millers Creek Elementary School
Moravian Falls Elementary School
Mount Pleasant Elementary School
Mountain View Elementary School
North Wilkesboro Elementary School
Roaring River Elementary School
THank you to our sponsors
Chuck and Kim Forester
Town of North Wilkesboro
40th Northwest Artist Juried Competition and Exhibiton
July 12th - August 10th
Juror: Robert H. Way
The exhibit was judged within 3 separate categories: Division I, which consisted of paintings, drawings, lithographs and other printmaking; Division II, which consisted of sculpture, pottery and metals; and Division III, which was comprised of mixed media, collage, and fibers.
Special Thanks to our Sponsors for the Show:
Sheila Brame, Frank and Rebecca Wilson, Beverly Cook, Brad and Mel Chinaman, Brenda Moore, Margaret Carter Martine, Sue and Bruce Colburn, and Dianne Steele
Thank you to our sponsors
Bill & Karen McElwee
Mary Spears
Thank you to our Sponsors
Lovette Family
Bill & Margo Hurd
Wilkes Communications
Reflections on Nature
April 5 - May 11, 2019
Featuring the work of:
Parks Reece
Adele Wayman
Cindy Taplin
Cole Johnson
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors for this Show:
Chuck Forester (CSForester Benefits), The Herring Family Foundation, Jim & Luci Smoak
Youth Art Month
March 1 - March 30, 2019
Youth Art Month gives students from all Wilkes County Schools, Millers Creek Christian, and the Blue Ridge Homeschool Association an opportunity to showcase work in our gallery. This exhibit is held annually during the month of March.
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors for this Show:
John and Peggy Harwell, Mary Spears, OP Smiles, Southern Dental Associates, and Wilkes Pediatric Clinic
38th Annual Blue Ridge Overview
Juried Photography Exhibit and Competition
January 11 - February 23, 2019
Juror: Christine Rucker
Ralph H. Marler, Jr. Best in Show Award:
Erin Southwell "Winter Light"
1st Place Landscape: Martin Seelig
2nd Place Landscape: Yale Miller
Honorable Mention Landscape: Roy Walter, Jim Magruder
1st Place My Hometown: Roy Walter
2nd Place My Hometown: Martin Seelig
Honorable Mention My Hometown: Martin Seelig
1st Place Nature: Mike Duncan
2nd Place Nature: Liz Crono
Honorable Mention Nature: Franklyn Millman, Liz Crono
1st Place Photographer's Choice: Liz Crono
2nd Place Photographer's Choice: LIsa Wilmoth
Honorable Mention Photographer's Choice: Tea Auton
Congratulations to all our Winners of the 38th Annual Blue Ridge Overview Juried Photography Competition & Exhibition!
Ward Nichols and
Bill Johnston
October 26 - December 22, 2018
Special Thanks to Our Sponsor for this Show:
Absher Wealth Management Group
September 7 - October 20, 2018
Featuring the work of:
John Nelson Brookshire
Jane Wells Harrison
Jeff Pender
Karen Weihs
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors for this Show:
Bill and Karen McElwee
Visual Creations
39th Annual Northwest Artist's Juried Exhibition & Competition
July 20 - August 31, 2018
Juror: Mary Dobbin
The exhibit was judged within 3 separate categories: Division I, which consisted of paintings, drawings, lithographs and other printmaking; Division II, which consisted of sculpture, pottery and metals; and Division III, which was comprised of mixed media, collage, and fibers. Dobbin selected and judged the exhibit earlier in the week, evaluating each individual piece anonymously.
Divison I winners were: 1st place Kevin Aita “Here’s Johnny," 2nd Place Patrick Richardson “Modern History,” 3rd Place Sharon Grubbs “Southern Summer." Honorable mentions for the category included pieces by Joseph York, Meredith Janssen, JoAnn Pippin, Lisa Drum, Mary Alice “Kitty” Owens, Denver Haynes, Patrick Richardson, Fredrick Franz, Susan Van Wyk, Karen Breit, Margaret Martine, and Lindsey Willis.
Divison II winners were: 1st place Richard Foley “Bull Head," Gilda Aita "Waiting," Richard Greenwood “Maoamoiselle."
Division III winners were: Marion Cloaninger "Contemplation," Margaret Martine “Picasso Make Over," Carolina Finley “The Quilters Gift." Honorable mentions went to Jenny Edsel, Lindsey Scott Willis, and Susan Marlowe
The Edith Ferguson Carter Award for Most Creative Imagination went to Dwayne Hash, for his piece “Gestural Floaters.”
Special Thanks to our Sponsors for the Show:
Shelia Brame, Margaret Carter Ferguson Martine, Beverly & James Cook, Mel & Brad Shinaman, Diane Steel, Rebecca & Frank Wilson, Quickframe, Sue & Bruce Colburn, Brenda Moore
Color the World
May 25 - June 30, 2018
Featuring the work of:
Nancy Canter
Paul Gala
Syed F. Ahmad
Kenneth Nelson
Regina Voncannon
Special thanks to our Sponsors for the Show:
Chuck & Kim Forester
Mary Spears
