EXHIBITS
Our galleries are open Tuesday-Saturday from 12:00-3:00 PM, during programs, and by appointment. Admission is free.
Throughout the year, we offer rotating exhibitions in our two galleries. We partner with local, national, and international artists and artisans, nearby schools, and regional arts organizations to showcase art and objects of interest for all to enjoy.
All works displayed here are the exclusive copyright of the artist and may not be reproduced without permission.
Plants and Places
Artwork from the Oak Spring Garden Foundation
March 25 - April 25, 2026
Lower Gallery
Artist Reception: March 27 | 5:30 - 7:00 PM
Located in Upperville, Virginia, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is a private operating foundation situated on 700 acres of land once part of Paul and Rachel “Bunny” Mellon’s estate. The Mellons were prominent philanthropists and art collectors throughout the twentieth century, and Mrs. Mellon left the property—including her personal rare book collection—to serve the public good. Established in 2016, Oak Spring carries forward Mrs. Mellon’s lifelong passion for plants, gardens, and the natural world through a wide range of public programs.
A central component of Oak Spring’s work is its residency program, which welcomes artists, researchers, and scientists for two- to five-week stays on site. Plants and Places features artwork by alumni of Oak Spring’s residency program, alongside reproductions of works held in the Oak Spring Library by contemporary French artist Sophie Grandval. Together, these works reflect the ways artists engage with plants and landscapes as sources of inspiration, inquiry, and creative expression.
Experiments in Natural Color
Textile Dyeing with Plants and Iron Oxides
April 17 - May 30, 2026
Upper Gallery
Artist Reception: April 19 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Wendell Combest, Ph.D., is a retired professor of pharmacology at the School of Pharmacy at Shenandoah University with a research interest in the chemistry of medicinal plants. He is currently exploring the vibrant colors present in plants that can be extracted and used as natural dyes on cotton, linen, and silk. In his fabric creations, natural plant colors are combined with iron oxides in the form of rust and plant-derived tannins to dramatically expand the color palette.
A particular emphasis is placed on the color blue, from the ancient dye indigo derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria, and Prussian blue, which is formed when UV light transforms certain light-sensitive iron salts—a forerunner to the origins of the photographic process.
Further explorations using various resist, discharge, and wool-felting techniques give rise to textiles with surprisingly unique geometric shapes and textures.
Color Stories
An Exhibit by Pam Klein
May 2 - June 13, 2026
Lower Gallery
Artist Reception: May 8 | 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Pam Klein’s paintings are visual conversations in color—rich, rhythmic, and alive with feeling. Across forms that hover between gesture and geometry, she invites the viewer into moments where color isn’t just seen, but felt and experienced. Working in oil and occasionally gouache, her canvases pulse with energy and resonance, exploring the physical and emotional life of hue as a kind of storytelling on the picture plane.
A longtime student and teacher of color—including decades shaping minds at Parsons School of Design—Pam’s work reflects both a lifetime of abstract inquiry and the layered influences of her years in New York and her life now in the Virginia landscape. Color Stories unfolds these experiences into a sequence of paintings that speak through light, mood, and chromatic nuance.
J. Foster Historic Signs
June 6 - July 25, 2026
Upper Gallery
Blending craftsmanship, scholarship, and imagination, Jackson Foster recreates the character and presence of historic American and English signboards. His work grows out of careful research into the lives, trades, and communities of the 18th and 19th centuries, paired with a background in history, design, lettering, and woodworking.
Foster builds each sign from reclaimed wood—sometimes centuries old—and finishes it with period-appropriate hardware, from blacksmith-forged irons to hand-wrought nails and hinges. The result is a body of work in which every sign is distinct, evoking the artistry of early American makers while reflecting his ongoing study of historic typographic styles, painting traditions, and joinery techniques.
Ava VanDeventer Debut Exhibit
August 1 - September 19, 2026
Upper Gallery
Artistic talent runs in the family! Ava VanDeventer, daughter of Furnace Mountain Band’s Morgan Morrison and Dave VanDeventer, brings her debut exhibit to the Barns of Rose Hill. Described as a “fearless” artist by noted portraitist Jordan Xu, Ava’s distinctive style pairs bold expression with a strong sense of form and subject, creating work that is confident, direct, and engaging.
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Your generous support through donations and memberships helps to ensure that we fulfill our mission to enrich lives through the arts, education, and community.
Barns of Rose Hill is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Tax ID No. 27-0103521. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.