Interpreting Nature: A Sculptor and a Painter Show at Ricco Gallery Nov. 8-10

Ricco Gallery in Shepherdstown will host a special three-day exhibit of sculpture by Gil Narro Garcia and paintings by James Shumate, both of Harper’s Ferry. Gallery hours for “Interpreting Nature: Works from a Sculptor and a Painter,” will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8 and 9, and 11a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11. Ricco Gallery is located at 125 West German St., Shepherdstown, West Virginia, next door to The Press Room restaurant.
Using different media, the artists present divergent views of nature.
Garcia traces the inspiration for his art to being an avid gardener since childhood, and growing up in a family of “gardeners, landscape designers and ranchers.” His sculptures combine natural elements, such as driftwood, seashells and birds’ nests, with collected elements including antique dolls, marbles, or dice. The result may be witty, whimsical or even a bit foreboding. For example, the artist explains that “Surveillance,” a 5-section vertical sculpture, is a commentary on a world in which “we are all being watched 24/7The series is meant to provoke feelings of being looked at/spied on from obvious and not so obvious vantage points.” He makes the point, in part, by pairing ominous-looking antique doll eyeballs with more benign, natural elements such as feathers and driftwood.
James Shumate’s visions of nature materialize in works of colored pencil, graphite drawings and acrylic paintings. Shumate describes his work as tending “toward simple, natural and unusual views and perspectives.” His technique of “drawing strong color lines” around the primary images in his paintings makes animals, storms, farm buildings in their natural settings and waterfalls almost leap out of the subtly textured, negative space in which they are immersed.
Both artists have shown their work in exhibits in the Eastern Panhandle and the Washington, D.C. area. Garcia is a retired civil servant whose training in the life sciences and in anthropology have contributed to his art. Shumate studied art at the Minneapolis School of Art and has worked in a variety of art and design jobs. Among his works are murals in commercial buildings and residences in Washington, D.C., in Minnesota and in the Mid-Atlantic region.

For more information, call the gallery at 304-876-2243 or write to: ricco@riccogallery.com .