Published: November 22, 2008 11:07 pm      

Sale of paintings to benefit gallery

For years, members of the Beckley Art Group have met and turned out many of their creative ventures in the basement of a building on Johnstown Road.

Building an art gallery on top of the foundation has been a long-term dream.

Two years ago, Shirley Fox took the initiative to get the ball rolling to do fundraising toward that goal.

Thanks to a generous donation from Beckley businessman Dan Bickey, BAG members saw some concrete evidence their dream might become a reality.

“Even with the generosity of Dan Bickey, we still needed a lot of money,” BAG member Barbara Daniel said. “Any project such as this winds up costing more than you expect.”

Theft of copper pipes and wire about a month ago posed a major setback, she said.

“We had insurance, but it didn’t cover that. It set us back about $10,000. Walls had to be torn out so new pipes could be installed, so it was quite a loss for us in terms of money and in the time frame we had hoped to get the building finished,” Daniel said.

Keeping a bright outlook, however, the group has turned its attention to finding ways to raise the needed money.

Several organizations, including the Beckley Area Foundation and the Carter Foundation, have provided grants.

Many artists donated pieces of their work for a recent auction and style show. Now 11 of those works are for sale in the gallery in the lobby of Beckley Newspapers.

“They are at a reduced price, so this would be a good time for someone who is looking for a nice piece of art as a Christmas gift or for a home or office to find a good bargain,” Daniel said.

The works of several other artists are on display and for sale at the newspaper gallery. However, only the sale of those designated at the right of the lobby entrance will benefit the new art center gallery.

Once the building is finished, it will be named the Cynthia Bickey Gallery.

The paintings can be viewed from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday.

— E-mail: bdavis

@register-herald.com