The annual Lynchburg Art Festival returned for its 52nd year as one of Central Virginia’s signature arts events, celebrating fine visual artistry in its many forms. Hosted by the Lynchburg Art Club, the festival was held Sept. 20 on the grounds of E.C. Glass High School.
Admission was free to the public, and the festival ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s festival featured 106 artists showcasing and selling their original work made in a wide variety of mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylics, pastels, encaustic, sculpture, photography, mixed media and drawing.
The Lynchburg Art Festival is officially recognized by the city as a Legacy Event, underscoring its importance to Lynchburg’s heritage and identity. Over the decades it has grown not just in size, but in scope, drawing artists from all around Virginia and neighboring states, as well as art lovers, collectors and community members.
Anne Evans is an artist from Keswick, Virginia. Her art is oil painted and inspired by landscapes and is often done plein air. Plein air painting comes from the French term “in the open air” and refers to painting outdoors in the natural world.
“This is my fourth year in the festival,” Evans said. “For my inspiration, I am always looking for the unspoiled beauty in the world, and I want people to appreciate nature and the way that man interacts with nature in a sustainable way.”
Evans won the 2025 Peery and Woolwine Dentistry Award for her oil painting titled “Coming Home.”
An important aspect is the judging and awards component. The 2025 festival’s judge was Twyla Kitts, a retired artist and educator with a long association with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Each artist entered their pieces into different categories for cash prizes, including Best in Show and the Lynchburg Art Club President’s Award. Also among the prizes was a $4,000 scholarship toward a fine arts degree for a local senior high school student.
Debra Sheffer is an artist from Stanton, Virginia. She has been a part of the show for over five years, and her artwork is featured in the Findings Gallery in Lynchburg.
“My inspiration mainly comes from the Virginia landscapes,” Sheffer said. “I often start my paintings on an easel and paint the view I am looking at.”
The festival enables artists to have a platform to showcase their hard work and dedication to their artistic craft. With scholarship opportunities offered at the Lynchburg Art Festival, it also provides students with a chance to continue growing their artistic strengths for a lifetime to come.
Susan Egbert, from Roanoke, won the Rosalie Loving Short Memorial Award for her acrylic and batik piece “Early Blooms.” Egbert’s piece also won Best in Show. To learn more about the festival and see this year’s winners, visit https://lynchburgartclub.org/lynchburg-art-festival.
Long is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion.