PURCELLVILLE, VA, October 29, 2019—The Purcellville Arts Council is pleased to feature art by Alex Carr from October 4 through December 31, 2019 in Purcellville’s Town Hall. A Meet-The-Artist reception will be held at Town Hall (221 South Nursery Avenue) on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The public is welcome to join Ms. Carr and the Purcellville Arts Council for an evening of art, discussion, and light refreshments. The show may otherwise be seen according to regular Town Hall office hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except holidays). During the upcoming Purcellville Artisan Tour on November 2 and 3, Town Hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for people to view Ms. Carr’s art and have another opportunity to meet her. More information about the Purcellville Artisan Tour is available at purcellvilleartisantour.com/
According to Ms. Carr’s biography, she grew up in rural South Jersey, a place of small farms and sandy beaches. Growing up, she spent hours playing among the rows of gladiola fields. She recalls spending most of her time outdoors. “Only evenings and rainy days were spent inside, and most of that time I had a pencil in my hand,” she said. “I’ve always thought in pictures - drawing is my native language. The images in my imagination always find their way out through my fingers.” She graduated in 1982 with a B.A. in Studio Art from Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. After college, she enrolled in Naval Officer Candidate School. After the 4-month training program, she was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and proudly served our country with honor for five years. She then married and had two daughters. During that time, Ms. Carr maintained a free-lance art business, taking both corporate work and private commissions. Her watercolor paintings have been represented by art galleries in Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, and New York. In 2003, she opened the Alex Carr Art Studio, converting the upper level of her home in Purcellville into a large and airy, state-of-the-art, 3-room watercolor studio.
“Living and working as an artist has been an incredibly rewarding, meaningful, and often spiritual journey for me. It provides the creative thread that weaves together every corner of my world,” said Ms. Carr. She shares the words of author Carl Hammerschlag in his book The Theft of the Spirit, in which he says: “…how we choose to see…It turns out that choice is the greatest power. Every time you think you know something, look at it again and you’ll know it differently.”
The first floor corridors of Town Hall have a gallery-caliber hanging system which creates and opportunity for local artists to exhibit their work. Art exhibitions in Town Hall ensure that all members of the public have access to art. The Purcellville Arts Council is accepting submissions for future shows. All artwork is decided upon for suitability by an outside jury. Please send inquiries to the Town of Purcellville, attention: Arts Council at arts@purcellvilleva.gov.
