Piedmont Arts in Martinsville, Virginia, will present ‘COLLECTive Concerns: Collage and Assemblage’ from August 29 through October 31, 2026. The group exhibition brings together 12 artists whose collage and assemblage works respond to environmental, emotional and societal stressors, including climate change, COVID-19, grief, identity and politics.
The exhibition was organized by Wylie Contemporary, Inc., and curated by Reni Gower. According to Piedmont Arts, the participating artists use discarded but highly curated materials to create intimate works that address the challenges of what the exhibition describes as “unprecedented times.” The presentation ranges in tone from whimsical to macabre and from refined to raw, with works described as poetic, strident and deliberately compact in scale.
The artists included are Judy Bowman, Elaine Crivelli, Kristy Deetz, Virginia Derryberry, Reni Gower, Craig Hill, Errin Ironside, Sue Johnson, Axelle Kieffer, Edwin Shelton, Alexandra N Sherman and Michele Stutts. Their works approach collage and assemblage not only as formal processes but also as possible coping mechanisms, warnings and calls to collective attention.
The exhibition is part of a set of three shows opening at Piedmont Arts in late August. It will be presented alongside ‘Chris Gregson: Novus Ordo Seclorum,’ a selection of paintings examining sensation, memory and perception through layered calligraphic marks and undulating fields of color, and ‘Bull Mountain Arts,’ which features members of an artist collective based in Stuart, Virginia. These exhibitions are scheduled to remain on view through October 31.
Piedmont Arts will host an opening reception for the new exhibitions from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 28. A gallery talk with Gower and artist Chris Gregson is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.; the reception will also include music by Joanie McPeak, complimentary refreshments and free admission. The museum has asked attendees to RSVP by Wednesday, August 26.
Piedmont Arts is located at 215 Starling Avenue in Martinsville. Admission to ‘COLLECTive Concerns: Collage and Assemblage’ is free. The institution’s published visitor hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
