ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 14, 1996 TAG: 9612160031
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
Artists to the rescue
The New River Valley Mall and area artists came to the rescue recently when Christiansburg's building inspection department ruled unacceptable the dirt floor in the storeroom the Galley of Local Artists was using at the mall for their Christmas-season showcase of locally made art.
So the gallery moved to the other end of the mall near Peebles.
"Mall management, maintenance and housekeeping were tremendously supportive, and dozens of artists and their families showed up to help, scrubbing cabinets and mopping floors as needed, in addition to hanging hundreds of paintings and recreating displays for the pottery, stained glass, jewelry, books and other items," said Darcy Meeker, a Blacksburg sculptor who has coordinated the gallery for five of its eight years.
The gallery will be open until Jan. 5, closing only on Christmas. Members of the public can meet the artists at a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
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The folks at the Christmas Store say hats off to the employees and owners of Blacksburg's A Cleaner World dry cleaners, who cleaned and repaired 1,003 coats, jackets and other garments for free this year. The items will go to the clients of the Christmas Store, who must have children and meet financial eligibility guidelines, or be senior citizens or disabled.
Norman Fitzwater, owner of A Cleaner World, said the work began Nov. 1, and was done during evenings and weekends after work for paying customers had been completed. "We're glad to do it because it's such a worthwhile project," he said. Some items that were donated to be cleaned were brand new, while other were in "rough shape," requiring new buttons, zippers or other repairs.
"We try to make sure that every child who comes through the Christmas Store has a coat, and he makes that possible," said Joyce Hendricks, who is in charge of public relations for the Christmas Store.
This year the Christmas Store, which wraps up its efforts today, will have come to the aid of more than 1,400 families, all from Montgomery County. About 2,000 volunteers helped, Hendricks said.
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New River Valley residents can catch a performance by the Joy Makers at 7 tonight at the Wheatland Hills Retirement Center in Radford or at 7 p.m. Dec. 21 at the English Meadow Retirement Center in Christiansburg.
The Joy Makers is a group of 10 friends, most of whom are retired, who perform at retirement centers and nursing homes in the New River Valley and elsewhere in Southwest Virginia. They play a dozen times a month or more, never charging for their performances. "We spend a lot of time and money," said Gertrude Phillips, wife of group leader Flemon Phillips. Making their effort worthwhile is their audiences, who "count the days till we come back," she said.
Formed by autoharpist Phillips when he retired eight years ago, the group also features Gertrude Phillips, who sings; Stanley Phillips, on mandolin, who is brother to Flemon; Howard Mannon on fiddle; Beverly Hunter on guitar; and Charlie Altizer on guitar.
Others are Joe Reese on banjo; Anna Saunders on harmonica; Al Propst on harmonica; and Sherman Riggan on dobro.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB