Middle Street celebrates the park service
Middle Street Gallery joins with Shenandoah National Park and Shenandoah National Park Trust in a series of special exhibitions this summer to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Photographers, painters, sculptors and print-makers present new works inspired by sites all over the U.S., from Acadia National Park in Maine to Grand Canyon National Park to Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. The art will especially spotlight Shenandoah National Park.
Among the tenants of River District Arts who lost their home this month, Middle Street is happy to have the show hosted by Haley Fine Art in Sperryville. The exhibit by the cooperative's 22 members will be on display from June 24 through July 24.
Haley Fine Art will host a public reception 5 to 8 p.m. this Saturday (June 25). Representatives from Shenandoah National Park and the Trust will will attend.
On Aug. 4, the show will move to Skyland Resort and to Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah National Park. The works will be on display there through Oct. 31. The art will be for sale at all three locations.
The Shenandoah National Park Trust, the park’s official philanthropic partner, will receive a portion of all sales from the show. The Trust invests in programs and initiatives to ensure that the national park remains a crown jewel of the Park Service, an economic driver for the region and a national treasure.
The National Park Service, created on August 25, 1916, is charged with a mandate “to conserve the scenery, the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein, and to . . . leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Today, the [ Service] is responsible for 410 areas deemed to be of such national significance as to justify special recognition and protection. These areas include a wide variety of designations including national parks, battlefields, monuments, seashores, lakeshores, historic sites, scenic trails and more. Some 307 million people a year visit these places.
Shenandoah National Park encompasses 200,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia between Waynesboro and Front Royal and is enjoyed by more than 1.3 million visitors a year. Its wooded mountains and meadows can be explored by driving 105 miles of the Skyline Drive, or by hiking some 500 miles of trails. The park is home to a wide diversity of plants and animals, and there are many ranger-led programs available to learn about the park’s natural and cultural history.
Come and enjoy this special collection of art celebrating the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, and remember that any purchases of art will help to support the Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Haley Fine Art is open 10 to 6 Thursday-Monday at 42 Main St., Sperryville. Call 540- 987- 1000 or visit haleyfineart.com for more information.