Carnegie Hall ArtWalk scheduled for Nov. 13

PRESS RELEASE

Lewisburg, West Virginia – Carnegie Hall invites the community to attend the upcoming Carnegie Hall Artwalk on Friday, November 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This free event offers visitors a chance to explore original works by local and regional artists in a world-class historical venue. Guests will enjoy live music, complimentary light refreshments, and a cash bar while immersing themselves in the arts. Each Artwalk features gallery spaces filled with creative collaborations and diverse mediums, ranging from contemporary oil portraits to heirloom-level craft arts.

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The Old Stone Room will feature the work of Sarah Lopez Thomas. Storytelling lies at the heart of this artist’s practice, drawing on one of humanity’s oldest creative traditions to transform dreams, emotions, and personal experiences into compelling visual narratives. Her paintings invite viewers into open-ended journeys where meaning continues to evolve, and nowhere is this more evident than in Stone, a deeply personal series inspired by the loss of her mother to metastatic breast cancer. Rather than offering resolution or comfort, these works confront grief, rage, and the stark realities of loss, creating a space where private sorrow becomes a shared human experience and where art serves as both witness and voice for those navigating the enduring complexities of mourning.

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Bob Fisher and Karen Smith will share a collaborative exhibit in the Museum Gallery. Born in South Charleston, West Virginia, Bob Fisher developed an appreciation for creativity through art and music classes in junior high, despite having little formal artistic training beyond those early experiences. After college, he pursued a career as an engineering draftsman while continuing to explore various artistic mediums, including charcoal, ink, and stained glass, before ultimately discovering sculpture. Fisher’s distinctive “Sculptured Stories” are assembled from recycled and found objects such as plumbing parts, toys, doll fragments, and other discarded materials, combined through welding, bolting, gluing, and occasional hand-sculpted clay elements. Inspired by stories, sayings, and quotations, his works often explore humorous and ironic aspects of life, reflecting his personal mantra: “Situation hopeless but not serious.” Through these imaginative creations, Fisher seeks both to satisfy his own creative drive and to invite viewers into a world of humor, whimsy, and alternative realities. 

Karen Smith’s artwork is guided by an intuitive and highly personal creative process she describes as “Intuitive Action Fluid Painting.” Working spontaneously, she selects colors in the moment and mixes a custom medium with acrylic paints to create richly pigmented, fluid compositions that flow freely across the canvas. Embracing both experimentation and movement, Smith allows each painting to develop organically, resulting in vibrant works that capture energy and emotion. Her commitment to craftsmanship extends beyond the creative process, as each piece is given ample time to cure, finished with multiple layers of clear gloss varnish, and professionally prepared with hanging hardware, ensuring it is ready to display and enjoy.

The Lobby Gallery will showcase the art of Barbara Stanley. Barbara’s lifelong connection to art began in childhood, inspired by her father’s sketches and encouraged by influential teachers along the way. After studying art education at the University of Houston, she taught high school art and graphic design before leaving the classroom to pursue freelance design and painting. For more than four decades, she owned a successful graphic design business, balancing her creative practice with the demands of a professional career. The works in this exhibition reflect that journey, with many having remained carefully stored for years before emerging for public view. Drawing inspiration from her travels, Stanley often works from her own photographs, while also embracing the immediacy and charm of plein air painting. Through these landscapes and scenes, she invites viewers to pause, connect, and perhaps discover a work that speaks personally to them.

The exhibits run through the end of December and are free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, please visit carnegiehallwv.org, call (304) 645-7917, or stop by the Hall at 611 Church Street, Lewisburg, WV.

Carnegie Hall programs are presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.