Friday, February 4th, as part of the Boone Downtown Art Crawl the Jones House will have two new exhibits to share with the community. The public is invited to a reception with refreshments from 6:30pm until 8pm where you can view the artwork and meet the artists.

In the Mazie Jones Gallery we will feature the photography of Gary W. Dowd, who has traveled extensively to more than 80 countries and to places that most of us would not choose to go. His photography shows some of the most difficult, remote places on the planet and how people live in that environment. Gary is a television producer, writer, and photographer. He has always enjoyed traveling to other lands to experience other cultures. But what continues to thrill him the most – gives him Raison d’être – is to know that the stories and visuals he brings back will raise awareness, touch hearts, ignite in people the desire to do something to help effect change for the better – and help raise millions of dollars in donations for worthwhile causes. Gary’s exhibit will feature scenes and expressions from the western United States, as well as a collection of inspiring images of children and people from around the world. Gary lives in Western North Carolina with his wife of 30 wonderful years, Clynda.

The Open Door Gallery will have the artwork of the students of Two Rivers Community School this month.  This school began serving Watauga and the surrounding counties in the 2005-2006 school year. Two Rivers School incorporates a curriculum of project based Expeditionary Learning and is guided by research based, best practices. The students are encouraged to be involved in community events and to take part in community service projects. The art instructor, Kelly Snider, has been with the school for five years and she takes great pride in the work of her students. These young artists have used various media for their pieces and really enjoy having the community come to see their collective work.  Two Rivers School has exhibited their art here in the past and it’s always a treat to see what the students have done with their talents.