Jon Murrill transitioned from a career in art education to painting murals full-time in his hometown of Roanoke and surrounding areas of southwest Virginia. Here, the spray paint can-wielding artist poses on a lift before his “Neon Owl” piece at a coffee shop in Blacksburg.

Roanoke Muralist Seeks to Inspire Passion for Public Art

Joseph Kellard December 26, 2024

A Norfolk Western 1218 locomotive emerges from a hazy, sage-green landscape painted on a three-story brick building in downtown Roanoke. The mural, titled “Nature Train,” features two tall trees shedding leaves, along with a squirrel and vines clinging to what was the world’s most powerful historic steam locomotive built by the railroad, now the Norfolk Southern, based in this city of southwest Virginia.

Photographer Bernard James snapped this picture of Ray Charles at the Saratoga Jazz Festival in New York, one among his 150 images of famous musicians he is shopping to collectors. (Photo: Joseph Kellard)

Photographer Finds His Groove Capturing Legendary Musicians

Joseph Kellard April 24, 2023

For years, Bernard James kept his film photographs of legendary musicians, from B.B. King to Aretha Franklin to Miles Davis, in photo albums few ever saw. The North Carolina resident eventually framed these images that he shot at music festivals during the 1980s and ’90s, and some were showcased in group exhibits at libraries on his native Long Island. Now he’s taking more steps to share them with the world.

Theodora Zavala showcases her diverse paintings in solo and group exhibits at galleries, colleges and libraries in New York City and Long Island.
*Photos Joseph Kellard and Theodora Zavala*

Artist Theodora Zavala Captures the Essentials

Joseph Kellard March 6, 2023

Theodora Zavala paints in multiple genres and diverse subjects, and therein lies a lead to what fundamentally drives her as an artist.