Asheville Artist’s Works on Exhibit at Penn College Gallery

Published 03.13.2017

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The Gallery at Penn College

Large-scale photorealistic paintings in rich hues presented with luminous costume constructions are among the works exhibited with “Private Domain” in The Gallery at Penn College from March 14 through April 20.

Showcasing the creations of Virginia Derryberry, the exhibit will feature a closing reception on Thursday, April 20, with a Meet the Artist Reception set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., including an artist’s talk at 5:30 p.m. The reception and exhibit are open to the public and free of charge.



Virginia Derryberry's “The Four Elements, ” oil on canvas, 96 x 54 inchesDerryberry’s oil paintings and mixed-media fabric works blend narrative elements from mythology and alchemy, the forerunner of modern science. Rather than a straightforward illustration of a specific narrative, she presents multiple interpretations to the viewer to further exemplify alchemy’s transformative process. The painted images are constructed from multiple viewpoints and lighting systems, with passages of volumetric rendering set next to more abstract, painterly areas. The result is the creation of a virtual, shifting world where nothing is quite what it seems.

A professor of painting and drawing at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Derryberry earned a Master of Fine Arts in drawing and painting from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Arts in painting and printmaking from Peabody College, and a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Vanderbilt University.

"Madonna of the Rocks (Celo)," oil on canvas with attached fabric, 70 x 47 inchesShe has received numerous awards including the Southeastern College Art Association’s Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and the College Art Association Distinguished Teaching of Art Award in 2017.

Derryberry has exhibited throughout the U.S. in venues including the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh; The Herron Galleries, part of Herron School of Art and Design, in Indianapolis; Forum Gallery, New York City; Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, in Atlanta; Erie Art Museum, Erie; Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Her work is in various collections including the Carnegie Museum of Art, Asheville Art Museum, Tennessee State Museum and West Virginia University.

The Gallery at Penn College, located on the third floor of Madigan Library, is open 2 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery is closed on Saturdays and Mondays, and will be closed on Sunday, April 16.

In addition to serving as an educational resource for Penn College students and a cultural asset to the college and community, the gallery is dedicated to promoting art appreciation through exhibitions of contemporary art.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.