Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VALLEY — The Valley Arts Council will be having an art show at Valley Community Center the weekend of Saturday, April 27th and Sunday, April 28th. It’s being called Our Spring Show and will be featuring the works of more than 30 talented artists in the two-state area, all in the 18 and older age group.

“We are excited about this upcoming show,” said Valley Arts Council President Suzie Britt. “We will have a wide variety of art on display, much of it from gifted artists who haven’t had their works displayed here before.”

Charles Scoggins, who recently relocated to Valley from Atlanta, will have some of his oil paintings on display. “He’s a very talented painter,” Britt said. “He likes being in the Valley and is remodeling a mill house in Langdale. He likes the lower cost of living compared to Atlanta and likes the laid-back lifestyle and friendliness of the people.”

Dee Dee Vayda will have some of her watercolor paintings at the show, and Riley Yielding of West Point will have some of his finely crafted homemade guitars on view.

Some of the artists who will be at the show have interesting stories to tell. Casey Bonner, for example, has compiled sketch pads of what he’s seen on trips he’s taken. They include everything from sad-faced clowns he saw as a child on trips to Florida with parents Ronnie and Bonnie Bonner to Iraqi women he saw while serving with the U.S. Army.

Bonner graduated from Valley High in 2000 and joined the Army not long after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. He spent 20 years in the Army and is now back home again.

“Casey does his sketching with a pen,” Britt said. “That’s not easy to do, but he has made some amazing images. They tell a story of the places he has been and people he’s seen.”

Bonner did three tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. “They are two completely different countries,” he said. “The people dress differently in both places.”

He’s looking forward to the coming summer season. He loves to garden. Last year he had good crops of squash and zucchini. This year he will be growing peppers and tomatoes.

“I’m more into shading than I am into coloring,” Bonner said of his artistic style. “I like to show energy and flow. I have always liked street art and graffiti when it’s done well. Teachers like Becky Guinn at Valley High had a big influence on me.”

Vivian Valencia loves to make items out of aluminum cans. She can turn an ink pen into a flower and make a model airplane out of a Coke can. She started doing it after she made some unusual items out of empty Bud Light cans after her 50th birthday party. She’s been doing it ever since. What she comes up with amazes everyone.

Vivian was born and raised in California. Her husband Victor was born in Mexico but has lived in the U.S. since he was two years old. They and their four grown sons can be called the Double V family. Each member has those initials. They include Vivian, Victor, Victor Jr., Vincent, Vaughn and Vance.

“We love living here in Valley,” Vivian said. “It’s not nearly as fast paced as it is in southern California. There’s so many people are so much traffic there.”

The Valencia’s son Vincent is in the National Guard and stationed in the local area. He’s engaged to a young woman from Valley, Jordan Danford, who is also in the National Guard.

Examples of Vivian’s 3-D art can be seen at etsy.com/shop/vivian’screationsHH. The exhibiting artists will have examples of their work for sale at the upcoming show.

“We have gone through a hard winter,” Britt said. “Warmer weather is here now. I think our spring show will be a good time for people to get out and see what out local artists are producing.”

The Saturday portion of the show will be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT. The Sunday portion will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

“It will be a judged show,” Britt said. “Two retired art teachers, Charlie Warner and Vee Brown, will be judging it. Ribbons will be awarded in eight different categories. They include oil painting, watercolor, acrylic, drawing, fiber art, 3-D art and photography.”

There will be no admission charge, and refreshments will be served.