Real West Virginian of the Week: At Hollyrock Gallery, Jeff Davis creates art meant to last for generations

By Hannah Yost, RealWV

LEWISBURG, W.Va. — For artist and retired educator Jeff Davis, West Virginia has never been just a place to live. It has been home, inspiration, and the foundation of a life spent teaching, creating, and preserving pieces of beauty meant to last.

Davis’ connection to West Virginia began early through his father’s work with the state park system. His father ran state parks and also served as the state park sign supervisor, designing and building signs for West Virginia’s state parks. When Davis was 1, his family moved to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, where his father ran the park for nine years. Later, his father moved to the sign shop at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park near Summersville Lake, where he had his own shop and designed, built, and sent out state park signs from one location.

That upbringing gave Davis a deep appreciation for West Virginia’s natural beauty, its public lands, and the importance of taking care of what makes the state special.

Today, Davis lives and works in Lewisburg, where he owns Hollyrock Gallery, a space filled with original, hand-carved, and hand-painted artwork. Located in the heart of downtown, beside Greenbrier Valley Theatre, the gallery gives Davis a place to create and share his work with both locals and visitors.

“I’m right where I want to be,” Davis said. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

He described Lewisburg as “Mayberry on steroids,” a small town with the charm of a close-knit community and the cultural offerings of a much larger place. With Carnegie Hall, The Greenbrier, the Greenbrier River, an airport, railroad, interstate access, and surrounding public lands, Davis said Lewisburg has something rare.

“There’s nowhere else I could have a gallery like this in the state of West Virginia and support a gallery like this,” he said.

Before opening Hollyrock Gallery, Davis spent many years in public education as an art teacher. He said he loved working with students and watching them discover new things. Teaching, for him, was about more than the subject matter. It was about connection, fairness, and being a positive influence.

“I loved being around the kids and seeing them light up when you taught them things,” Davis said. “Every day was different.”

Those connections have lasted well beyond the classroom. During Davis’ interview, one of his former students came into the gallery to visit him — a small but meaningful reminder of the relationships he built throughout his teaching career.

Davis said he tried to treat every child fairly and be a positive presence in their lives. When asked to choose a moment from his time in education that stayed with him, he said there were too many positive experiences to narrow down.

After retiring from teaching, Davis turned more fully toward the dream he had carried for years: owning his own gallery.

“I always knew I wanted one,” he said.

He had been involved with different galleries over the years and previously had pieces of art in a gallery at The Greenbrier. After COVID, Davis said he had enough work to go out on his own. Hollyrock Gallery became the place where he could create, work his own hours, and do things his way.

“I’m loving it,” Davis said. “It’s been great.”

Inside his Lewisburg gallery, Davis works where visitors can see him. He often carves and paints in front of the window, giving passersby a glimpse into the process behind each piece. On nice days, he sometimes takes his work outside, creating along the sidewalk in front of the shop.

Each piece at Hollyrock Gallery is original. Davis works with hardwoods, including mahogany, cherry, white walnut, black walnut, sassafras, white oak, and American chestnut. Some pieces use older wood with its own history, including wormy chestnut and reclaimed wood from homes built generations ago.

The process is slow and intentional. Davis finds the wood, cleans it, prepares it, and begins sketching before carving texture into the surface. Each piece is then sanded and painted by hand. Depending on the size and complexity, a piece can take anywhere from two weeks to four months to complete, or even longer.

“I don’t want to see how fast I can do something,” Davis said. “I want to see how well I can do it.”

That patience is part of what makes his work stand out. Davis does not create prints, and no two pieces are the same. The wood, carving, and painting are all different, making each work impossible to duplicate.

He wants his art to be recognizable — not because it follows a trend, but because it reflects his own distinct style.

“I want to be totally different,” Davis said. “I don’t want to copy anyone. I want to be me.”

Many of his customers return year after year for custom pieces, and some have built collections of his work over decades. One large piece, created for a client in Connecticut, took Davis four months to complete and is currently displayed in the front window of his gallery right now.

For Davis, creating art is not about producing something quickly. It is about making work that holds value, meaning, and permanence. He wants people to take home something they can keep, cherish, and pass down.

That mindset also shapes the way he thinks about Lewisburg’s arts community. Davis believes a strong arts presence is essential, especially in a rural town.

“It draws people in,” he said.

He said galleries, restaurants, and cultural spaces help bring visitors to Lewisburg and create a standard that benefits the whole community. For Davis, art adds to the town’s identity and gives people another reason to come, stay, and return.

When people from outside West Virginia see his work, Davis hopes they leave with a greater appreciation for the talent within the state.

“I hope they are in awe,” he said. “I hope they understand the state has an extreme amount of talent and ability.”

Davis said West Virginia has so much to offer, from its people to its parks, and he wants the state to be noticed and cared for.

“My dad promoted state parks,” Davis said. “I want West Virginia to be noticed and taken care of.”

Through his years in the classroom and now through his work at Hollyrock Gallery, Davis has continued to leave a mark on those around him. Whether teaching students, creating one-of-a-kind pieces, or welcoming visitors into his gallery, his work reflects a deep commitment to craft, community, and place.

For Davis, Lewisburg is not just where he opened a gallery. It is where his life, work, and love for West Virginia come together.