BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Historic scenes from Downtown Bluefield are included in an art collection that will be exhibited in the Paine Gallery in the Bluefield Arts Canter starting Wednesday.
The artwork is by Larry Akers, an artist who painted a portrait of the late former Pres. Richard Nixon and presented it to the President in a ceremony at the White House in 1969.
Akers, a Bluefield, Va. native, at one time occupied the entire third floor as artist-in-residence of what is now the Bluefield Arts Center. He has since seen his artwork exhibited in many cities as far away at Los Angeles.
Akers eventually returned to the area and began collecting photographs and memorabilia of the area, which led to a large drawing that became the mural in Chicory Square – the first large outdoor mural in the Bluefields. Since then, Akers has painted other public and private murals in Pocahontas, Tazewell and Marion, Va.
“The rich history of this area inspired me to record and depict it onto canvas, to capture memories of times past,” Akers said in announcing his exhibit at the Paine Gallery. “Over the past few years, I’ve painted probably well over 200 paintings depicting the area’s past as well as the history of the Norfolk and Western Railway. I hope to continue so that younger generations can see their history and maybe become inspired to learn about it.”
Mimi Merritt, chair of the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corp. (BARC), called Akers a local treasure, and said Bluefield resident Larry Douglas offered this extensive collection of Akers’ works for the public to view.
A meet-the-artist reception will be held for Akers on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Paine Gallery in the Bluefield Arts Center. The exhibit will run through Dec. 5 with the Gallery open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and by appointment.
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