By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
Linda Staiger addressed members of the Fluvanna Art Association at its monthly meeting held Feb. 18 regarding the current exhibit at the Fluvanna County Public Library, Looking Back Seeing Now. To celebrate Black History Month and kick off the exhibit tour, Staiger discussed the journey that led to the exhibit..
Since its inception in 2023, the project aims to memorialize the history of the Fluvanna County community, connecting the present to those who lived 150 years ago. The project is a representation of interests, including the West Bottom Church, a community working on the renovation of the cemetery at Oak Hill on Glen Arvon Road, the Fluvanna County Historical Society, and Linda Staiger, a local artist with a desire to encourage and develop the unique voices of other local artists.
“I was curious about the impact of history on those living today,” she said.
What started as a historical narrative evolved into an artistic endeavor that brought artists and models together with unexpected results. In her talk, Staiger explained her reluctance to take on the project and those of the black community who were reluctant to participate. Staiger discussed the research and the tracing of ancestors – like Joe Creasey’s family from Bremo Bluff where the slave chapel was built on the Bremo Plantation,
“In those days it (slavery) was acceptable,” she said. “We can’t say they were horrible people because it was normal then.”
The exhibit and its history send a message about society’s view of Black people in America and that barriers can be torn down through interaction and understanding. Two years after the project got underway, the artists and those they painted cut through those barriers with conversation, stories, and understanding.
Staiger mentioned that those who are White question whether they should paint Black people. This goes back to the stereotyped paintings done in the past by White artists who painted exaggerated and unflattering illustrations of Black people in the Jim Crow era.
Clinton Helms, a Black artist, illustrator, and sculptor with an MFA, has a style is similar in realism to other fellow artists like Joe Gastrock, Bryan Fair, and Tom Tartaglino. All of them could look at the same model and capture a different essence of that person.
What the artists learned from the experience was notable. Those not familiar with portraiture admitted they saw things differently than before. Among the artists who participated, two of them, who are more comfortable painting animals than people, moved beyond the fear of doing portraiture.
“It has been amazing,” said artist Susan Edginton. “Living the history and talking to them.”
“Watching other artists, the process, talking to them and the experience,” was enlightening, said Lisa Daniel. Portraiture requires a different skill set that requires looking deeply into the subject to extract their lifelong experiences and translating that into character and appearance.
A total of 60 pieces were created by various artists over two years and the final pieces were selected through a juried process.
Staiger said that 250 people attended the reception held on Feb. 2 at the library. Library Director Cyndi Hoffman added that people have been enthusiastic and fascinated by the exhibit, which will be up through the beginning of March.
The exhibit will travel to Martha Jefferson Hospital-Sentara and then the Center at Belvedere. In May of 2026, it will travel to Mary Baldwin College.
For more information about the project or how to get involved, visit https://www.lookingbackseeingnow.com/
