featured Artists for July & August

Marcia Blouin,

Tiavalya Befecadu,

and Keith Paine

Marcia Blouin of Boaz

Marcia Blouin has a Bachelor's degree in Art and Masters in Teaching. She has used this training to work a graphic designer, a floral designer, and an art teacher. She enjoys painting subjects related to nature, people and animals and uses acrylics, watercolors, and pencil and ink. Her exhibit will include all of these art mediums so there will be art for everyone to enjoy.

Upon retiring from teaching, she and her husband moved to beautiful north Alabama.

keith paine of guntersville

Mountain Valley Arts Council is known for exhibiting unusual art forms, so we were glad to discover Keith Paine.

Keith Paine’s interest in wood started with his grandfather who was a master carpenter. Although he started playing guitar when he was 13, he has evolved into creating custom guitars made of exotic woods.  He has used rosewood and cherry from ruined furniture and buildings from the 1800s, as well as walnut and various types of poplar. As a result, he makes “new antique guitars”.  His work is full of contrasts of light and dark based on the wood he uses for both the guitars and the concave and convex wall sculptures that will be on exhibit.

Keith Paine is originally from the Adirondacks of New York, but he and his wife Sabrina and three kids have lived in Guntersville for about 3 years.  This former state trooper is now a stay-at-home dad running shuttle service between his kids’ sports events.

Art by Members Wall

These MVAC members currently have art on the Art by Members Wall. These will be on exhibit until the end of July.

Lynnette Brown - acrylics, Don Davis - watercolor and oils, David Edwards - ceramics, Adam Freeman - multimedia, Ken Kelley - wood-turned bowl, Sheri Laferriere - watercolor and oils, Susan Persall - acrylics, Becky Scheinert - pastels, resin, Stacy Schwraze - acrylics, Johnny Smith - custom nautical signs, MJ Venrick - acrylics, Edward Young - stained glass.

vote for New Board Members sept. 9th at annual members’ meeting

The annual MVAC members meeting will be held Tuesday, September 9th at the MVAC Gallery All active membe4rs can vote for the following three candidates. Note that all three can be elected. Two more spots on the board are vacant.

Members can also vote by emailing their votes to info@mvacarts.org BEFORE 7 PM on September 9th.

• Anita Alley - Albertville

• Emily Busby - Guntersville

• Heather McCann - Albertville

Tiavalya befecadu of huntsville

Mountain Valley Arts Council will host Quilting Art by Tiavalya Befecadu during July and August at the gallery at 440 Gunter Avenue, Guntersville.  Everyone - quilter or quilt fan - is invited to come to the Artists Reception on Tuesday, July 8th, from 5:30 – 7:00 PM.  Refreshments will be provided.

Tiavalya is local to the Northern Alabama area, where she began her career as a Congressional staffer. After transferring to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, she worked as a legislative aide and scheduler for Members of Congress. Following her tenure of government service, Tiavalya worked in the electric utility industry before returning to her hometown to pursue her artistic interests.

In 2017, she founded Tiavalya Photography, LLC, which is a minority, woman-owned small business specializing in family portraiture, corporate headshots, and executive branding. In 2020, Tiavalya expanded her creative portfolio to include custom textile art quilting created from photographs.

Tiavalya is an award-winning, self-taught artist whose work has been exhibited in local and national museums. She has also been featured on NBC and CBS affiliate television networks, radio stations, Tiavalya teaches her textile art and quilting techniques to children, beginner quilters and craft enthusiasts. She is a proud member of the Professional Photographers of America, Modern Quilt Guild and sits on the Board of Directors for the Historic Huntsville Foundation.

See the Exhibits page for more details.

Quilts by local quilters are also on display. A new quilt called “Mermaid” is hanging in our front window!