STEF SHIVELY

Veiled Memory

"Veiled Memory is the culmination of four years spent exploring the complex web of family narrative, history, and identity. This project examines the relationship between truth and experience, revealing how memories—often clouded by loss, fear, and shame—deeply influence familial bonds.

In this body of work, I challenge the notion that photographs and narratives provide definitive records of reality. While photographs are often viewed as pillars of truth, markers of time, or relics of lost loved ones, they ultimately serve as snippets of information that help us recollect the past. By altering vernacular imagery, removing details, and adding text, I aim to illustrate that both photography and truth are inherently subjective, shaped by our individual perceptions and contexts.

Through this manipulation, I reference the messiness of memory and the nuances of recollection, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences with nostalgia and the fluidity of truth. The interplay of image and text creates a dialogue that captures the tension between remembering and forgetting, truth and interpretation. Within my collages, I allow fragmented memories to coexist and interact, emphasizing that our sense of self is shaped not only by what we recall but also by what remains obscured.

Veiled Memory serves as a meditation on the delicate balance of remembering and forgetting, encouraging a dialogue about the intricate stories that define who we are."

~Stef Shively

Scheduled Events

Opening Reception

Friday, November 1, 5-8pm

Please join us for a reception for the artist.

Workshop with the Artist

Transfer & Transform: Collage and Printmaking Workshop

Dates & Time: Sundays, November 10, 17,and 24, 10am-4pm

Learn More & Register

Student Showcase + Artist Talk

Friday, December 13, 5-7pm

We will open the evening with a reception for the students of Stef's Transfer & Transform workshop and showcasing some of their completed artworks. Around 6pm, we will enjoy an Artist Talk and Q+A with Stef to learn more about her current body of work and her process.

December 28 - February 16

Jonathan Rugh + Blake Gore

Artist Reception

February 7

5-7pm

Jonathan Rugh + Blake Gore

Jonathan Rugh is a designer, sculptor, craftsman and carpenter residing in Blacksburg, Virginia. He received a BFA in sculpture and ceramics from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and a Master’s degree in architecture at Virginia Tech. His sculpture work has been exhibited in venues throughout the United States, including the Kathleen Cullen Gallery in New York City and the Lo-Fi Art Festival in Seattle. In addition to his independent art projects, Jon currently is a manager in the wood shop facilities in Virginia Tech’s College of Art, Architecture and Design.

Blake Gore...

"Combining endless curiosity with an eye for detail, I create miniature art using a .15mm pen nib and minimalist canvases. Often drawing inside only an inch or two, I’m inspired by the challenge of creating more with less. Hand-drawn with no magnification or eyeglasses, my miniatures demonstrate how constraints can enhance creativity.

Lacking formal art training, my journey as an artist has been as unexpected as could be. At 37 years old, I discovered drawing as a creative outlet during my career as an instructor and adviser at Vanderbilt University. Following my own advice to students to be lifelong learners, I began honing my craft at the breakfast table after being intrigued by a miniature drawing prompt on social media.

Before long, my miniatures began showing from Middle America to Manhattan and finding their way into private collections around the globe. Always up for interesting collaborations, I've partnered with brands such as Jo-Ann Stores, Monopoly/Hasbro, BLICK Art Materials, Sakura of America, Canson, Strathmore, and General Pencil.

An Ole Miss graduate from Mississippi, I now reside with my family in Southwest Virginia's New River Valley."

Scheduled Events

Artist Reception for Jonathan Rugh

Friday, February 7, 5-7pm

Blake Gore is unfortunately unable to attend due to his extensive travel schedule, exhibiting in shows throughout the country, but we hope to host a separate event for him at another time. We will announce this as soon as we are able.