We are excited to announce the second in our new Artist Spotlight series, where we regularly feature a story or interview highlighting a local artist and member. 

We are thrilled to introduce Kimberly Varnadoe and share the interview we recently conducted. 
 

Q&A Interview February 2024

Q: How long have you been doing art, and how did you get started?

Kimberly: "I’ve been creating since childhood yet did not have exposure to art outside of the art classes in school. When I was a junior in high school and we had a Career Day, I was thumbing through college catalogs and learned that you could major in ART! That was a big surprise to me. I pursued this path and have never questioned that choice."

Q: How would you describe your current art and the path that brought you here?

Kimberly:  "I am currently practicing oil painting. Painting was my undergraduate major in college. However, I ventured off that path to discover Printmaking and Photography in Grad school. My work has been a combination of these mediums for most of my career. I am now finding joy in the immediacy of applying oil paint to canvas."

Q: How long have you been an Associated Artists of Winston-Salem member, and why have you stayed involved?

Kimberly: "I was a member of Associated Artists many years ago and lost contact for a while. I reconnected after retiring from Salem College. Since then, I have become an active member, serving on the board of directors and taking on the duty of Community Exhibit coordinator to help our members get their work out into the WS community."

Q: How does Winston-Salem inspire your art?

Kimberly: "I have always felt embraced by the artists in Winston-Salem and had the opportunity to meet many of them during my time as Professor of Art and Gallery Director of the Elberson Fine Arts Center at Salem College. It was a joy to be in a position to exhibit local artists and get to know them. Since the late 1990’s I have been involved with the arts in WS and now serve on the Board of Directors for Artworks Gallery, DADA, and Associated Artists of WS."

Q: What's next?

Kimberly: "I now have a studio in the Culture space on the 9th Floor of Liberty Plaza. The community of artists in this space is inspiring and I show up to paint and share with these artists most every day.

"I show my work regularly at Artworks Gallery and I am a founding member of Artfolios, an online art gallery showcasing the works of WS artists. Involvement with the local art community is important to me and I make it a priority in my life."

Q: What's one random fact about you that might surprise people?

Kimberly: "I don’t know that anything I do is a surprise to people. I am pretty much an open book with my feelings and expressions.

"I will say that I have a love of travel to new places where I can interact with the local culture and learn about lifestyles different from my own. My recent travels have taken me to the jungles of South America and Costa Rica to explore journeys with the indigenous cultures. These experiences keep me open to new possibilities in my art and in my life."