Experience the arts in the heart of Martinsville’s Arts & Cultural District at the R.P. Gravely-A.J. Lester Art Garden.  The Public Art Garden features: the Historic Little Post Office “Four Seasons” by Ed Dolinger This 12 foot-tall tree sculpture has four uniquely designed sides, each representing one of the four seasons in vibrant, vivid colors, handpainted by the artist. It also Read more...

On the corner of Tazewell Street and Mountain Lake Avenue in Pearisburg, there is a beautiful mural portraying the river. It really adds some color to the town of Pearisburg! This mural is on the side of a building and is easily accessible for anyone to view and enjoy.  Read more...

The Big Chair has returned to the Furniture Heritage Plaza in Uptown Martinsville! The new chair, installed in December 2020, is a replica of Bassett Furniture’s 100th Anniversary Big Chair that was once on display.   The chair is an icon of the Deep Roots initiative, which is aimed at highlighting unique assets and rich legacies in furniture. This chair serves Read more...

Coming to the Gallery March 2nd thru April 2nd:“Intimate Narratives” an exhibit by Elaine Fleck where she merges her passion with textiles and painting. This free exhibit can be visited in the Gallery Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Read more...

Kabuki Dancer was donated to Piedmont Arts in 2006 by the children of Paul T. Mattox. Paul was an avid supporter of the arts in Martinsville-Henry County and this eye-catching work, which graces the museum’s front patio, is a true tribute to his memory. Donated by the children of Paul T. Mattox in memory of their father. Read more...

The Baldwin Block Canvases depict a streetscape view of buildings and places significant to the history of this location on Fayette Street and the culture, including the Baldwin Pharmacy, Jobbers Pants Co., and Saint Mary’s Hospital among others. The three outdoor murals are on the Market Street side of the New College Institute building. Artist Amanda Honore’ Donley and representatives of NCI Read more...

This traveling exhibition from the Library of Virginia addresses the effects of prohibition on Virginia and America. It examines the prohibition movement as part of a social reform movement and outlines the economic and social costs of prohibition as well as an array of other topics, including prohibition’s legacy from NASCAR to the creation of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Read more...

Artist Betty LaDuke toured Martinsville-Henry County to create sketches of local people and places. These sketches were the inspiration for Farmers Market, the large-scale mural LaDuke created especially for the Uptown Farmers’ Market. In conjunction with LaDuke’s mural project, area high school students enrolled in MHC After 3/Upward Bound worked with local artist Celia Tucker to design and paint mini-murals Read more...

The Arts Depot presents Native Treasures: Art and Biodiversity Meet in a Global Hotspot. A juried fine arts exhibit depicting species and landscapes native to far Southwest Virginia. This exhibition features sculpture, clay, oil, felting, fabric, photography, and more. The Round-Leaf Birch Award (1st place) was awarded to Kyle Buckland for his “Snow Flurries at Little Mocassin Gap”. A portion of Read more...

FREE Exhibit in the Gallery by Dan Henderson. “Sometimes I see something so compelling or so beautiful that it just needs to be photographed as it is. But often it is more – or less – than the thing itself; the rock or the mountain, the tree or the forest. What interests me are the nuances, the details that others Read more...

A remarkable Post Oak Common Name: post oak Scientific Name: Quercus stellata Category: Old tree Diameter: 137.5cm Height: 42.5m This post oak is a well-known tree in the area due to its size, age, beauty, and location. This tree is located in the center of Martinsville, Virginia on property that has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as Read more...

On April 24, the Historical Society of Western Virginia will open “Botetourt County: 250 +1 Years of Delight,” an ambitious exhibit telling the history of Botetourt through its decorative arts from architecture to kitchenware. Bank of Botetourt, which traces its county roots to 1899, is the major sponsor for the exhibit, which features more than 300 items on loan from Read more...

The earliest apparent recorded use of the property at the corner of Church and Ellsworth streets (134 East Church Street) was as a family home for CY Thomas and his wife. After the passing of CY Thomas and his wife, the home was occupied by several of their daughters. Ultimately, a fire occurred there and the home was torn down in Read more...

“Old Times are Not Forgotten” in Franklin County. The History Museum features rare oil paintings, glassware and china, documents, photographs, railroad memorabilia, the medical field, Civil War & other military items, memorabilia from the two local liquid industries (moonshine & Coca-Cola) and other pieces of area history. Research Library offers family books, information on historic sights and sites, data found nowhere else. Read more...

The year 2020 marked the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War Two, an outcome that powerfully changed American life. To explore what happened locally after the soldiers came home. BOOM! Salem After WWII celebrates the boom times that Salem and the United States experienced from 1945 through 1952. In Salem, the period started and ended with a BOOM—parades, Read more...

Located in the Danville Science Center, the Estelle H. Womack Natural History Collection journeys through three diverse collections about life on Earth. Discover everything from vegetation to the world’s most dangerous predators! Explore Life Along the Dan as you uncover the local fauna and flora in a captivating display. Continue your travels across three continents to walk alongside the Hunters Read more...

Art Exhibition: “Dorothy Gillespie Tabletop Sculptures”Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Richard Wetherill Visual Arts CenterRoanoke native Dorothy Gillespie was an early feminist artist best known for her colorful, large-scale metal sculptures. 2020 marks the centennial of her birth; through the artist’s son, Gary Gillespie Israel, the Dorothy Gillespie Foundation has coordinated a multi-venue celebration of this anniversary. Working with the foundation, Read more...

FREE Exhibit in the Gallery! “Bloom With Grace” is an exhibit that has grown out of an annual sunflower festival that I have hosted the past 5 years on our family farm in Botetourt County, Virginia. I have dabbled in nature photography for a few years and have greatly enjoyed combining my new found love for sunflowers with a passion Read more...

The “Ready, Set, Go Healthy” Mural is located in beautiful Martinsville Uptown. It depicts healthy activities including bike riding, kayaking, running/jogging/walking on paved trails, playing soccer, gardening, and picnicking; all of which residents and visitors can participate in throughout Martinsville-Henry County. The slogan “Ready, Set, Go Healthy” was an idea which was constructed by the West Piedmont Health District for Martinsville-Henry County. The organization Read more...

The “Manufacture of Furniture” is a public art mural painted by Walter Carnelli in 1939. The mural is located in the lobby of the historic Bassett post office. The Section of Fine Arts, a division of the WPA, under the Treasury Department funded the painting of the mural as well as other public art murals in other post offices across Read more...

Aside from the natural beauty of Philpott Lake, other gems await to be experienced by its guests. The Visitor Center offers a unique display of exhibits pertaining to the natural and cultural heritage of Philpott Lake. These include a number of interpretive displays, such as: the Four Seasons of the Whitetail Deer; Fish that reside in Philpott Lake and Smith Read more...

“Carried Along” Botetourt artist Brett LaGue’s work often shows the beauty of Virginia. His work can be found all across the US, England & France. His work has been available in the Shop here at Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center for years, and now this free exhibit can be seen on Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 10 AM to 4:30 Read more...

This traveling exhibition from the Library of Virginia addresses the effects of prohibition on Virginia and America. It examines the prohibition movement as part of a social reform movement and outlines the economic and social costs of prohibition as well as an array of other topics, including prohibition’s legacy from NASCAR to the creation of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Read more...

Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. Mural The Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., mural is located in downtown Bassett, not far from Bassett furniture’s world headquarters. The mural is located on the side of the former Blue Ridge Hardware Building and was painted  in 2015 by Rocky Cobbler.  This version of the Bassett logo was first used in the 1950s. It features a Read more...

June German Ball celebrates the vibrant culture and heritage of Martinsville’s historic Fayette Street. The mural depicts a fictional scene from one of Martinsville’s famed June German Balls, which were popular within the African American community in the early part of the 20th century. These balls were held yearly, in the heat of June, and featured celebrated entertainers from the Read more...

The first exhibit of its kind in the Old Dominion is “Travelers’ Trinkets: Souvenirs of Virginia”. Learn about why people collect souvenirs, how souvenir collecting has evolved over the years, and what is the most popular souvenir of 2020! Thanks in part to a grant by Virginia Humanities, this exhibit is full of keepsakes from Virginia’s caverns, beaches, Presidential homes, state parks, and Read more...

This exhibit focuses on the work of area photographers working in traditional film and/or digital imaging and is open to the public November 27th – December 28th 2020. Read more...

The Furniture Heritage Plaza, located in Uptown Martinsville, in the Broad Street parking lot, pays tribute to the “Deep Roots” and history of Martinsville-Henry County’s furniture-making legacy.   From 2009-2013 the Furniture Heritage Plaza was home to “the Big Chair” crafted by Bassett Furniture Industries to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Due to unexpected issues, the Big Chair had to be removed Read more...

Would you like to experience Independence Day on the same ground as America’s first patriot? Come spend this Fourth of July at the garden spot of the world, Patrick Henry’s Red Hill! Events begin at 3:00PM with fireworks at dusk and the gate closing at 9:00PM. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets to comfortably watch Patrick Henry give his speech Read more...

Like a postcard of yesteryear, the Uptown Connection Trail mural sends well wishes to visitors taking a break in Uptown’s newest pocket park. Designed and painted by local artists Amanda Honore Donley and Aleen Wilson, this mural is a picture-perfect addition to historic Uptown. Part of Piedmont Arts’ Public Art Program. Planned and funded by City of Martinsville. Read more...

The Pearisburg Town park has some great art located within the park. Among five sculptures, there are also murals of kids playing. These murals are located on the PATS building and are easily accessible for the public to view and enjoy! Read more...

The Tobacco Heritage Mural, painted in December 2016, is 20-by-30-foot. The mural is painted on the side of 308 Craghead St. that faces Patton Street and is visible from the River District’s busiest intersection at Main and Craghead streets. The mural includes a flue-cured tobacco barn at the top, a man in a bateau transporting tobacco and a tobacco auction Read more...

Visitors to Infinity Acres Ranch will notice more than just the fascinating animals and southern hospitality; the will also see the beautiful Infinity Acres Barn Quilt that adorns the front-side of the classroom. Add this quilt to your list of Barn Quilts to see in MHC!  Infinity Acres’ Mission is to provide educational and interactive opportunities to individuals using domestic Read more...