MARTINSVILLE, Va. (June 16, 2026) — “Expressions 2026: America 250” will open to the public with a reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Friday, June 26, at Piedmont Arts. An awards ceremony honoring participating artists will begin promptly at 6 p.m. in the galleries. Artists and guests should RSVP attendance by Wednesday, June 24, to 276-632-3221 or online at PiedmontArts.org.
This open-entry exhibition is presented annually by Lynwood Artists and Piedmont Arts. In honor of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, artists were encouraged to submit work focusing on the theme “America 250.”
“More than 80 artists entered work this year,” said Director of Exhibitions and Marketing Bernadette Moore. “We are excited to share their work and their varied interpretations of the ‘America 250’ theme.”
The exhibit was judged by Katie Hirsch, deputy director of exhibitions at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke. During the reception, awards will be given for first, second, and third place in seven categories, as well as the Lynwood Artists Award, Best in Show, and the America 250 Award, which recognizes the best interpretation of the exhibit theme.
"Works by Lily Ebrahimi" will be on view in the Foster Gallery. Ebrahimi is a versatile artist with a diverse background in dance and visual arts. She is a senior at Community High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and a former dancer with both the Southwest Virginia Ballet and Star City School of Dance. Her artistic training also includes studies at the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Her painting, “The Last of the Cherry Tomatoes,” won the Piedmont Arts Guild Special Student Award in “Expressions 2025” and a silver medal in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in 2026.
The exhibits will be on display June 27-Aug. 14. Admission is free.
These exhibits are sponsored by VisitMartinsville, Brightspeed, Helen S. and Charles G. Patterson Jr. Charitable Foundation Trust, Lynwood Artists, and What's Your Sign.
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