During Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s two terms in office, Mountain Valley Arts Council artists have had the honor of exhibiting in his Montgomery office suite which sees some 200+ people from Alabama and other states and countries visit. The artists were selected by the MVAC Board and Lt. Governor Ainsworth’s staff. Each exhibit was installed in January or early February of each year before the Alabama Legislature went into session. Lt. Governor Ainsworth has given each artist a signed certificate of appreciation for participating in these exhibits.
January - May 2026 Exhibit in Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s Montgomery Office
Emily Busby, Guntersville - pottery
Elizabeth Brown, Guntersville - stained glass
Howard King, Cullman - turned wood
Becky H. Scheinert, Warrenton - collage
MJ Venrick, Albertville - acrylics
2025 Exhibit in Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s Montgomery Office Suite
Right before the 2025 Legislative session opened in early February, MVAC volunteers curated the new year-long exhibit. His staff reported that they immediately received compliments on the new artwork. This exhibit is the seventh in this venue.
The artwork selected represent four MVAC artists – Lynnette Zanghi Brown, painter from Preston Island, Howard King, woodturner from Cullman, M J Venrick, painter from Albertville, and Barbara Warnes, painter from Warrenton. During 2025, hundreds of visitors will see the exhibit which raises the visibility of Marshall County artists and their talents. Congratulations to these fine area artists!
2024 MVAC Artists Exhibit in Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s Montgomery Office Suite
Just in time for the new legislative session, Mountain Valley Arts Council volunteers have installed the 2024 exhibit of local artists’ artwork in Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s office suite in Montgomery where it is seen and appreciated by legislators and visitors throughout the year.
The selected artists include Bill Cash of Arab with a wood-turned walnut bowl; James Davidson of Guntersville with a lidded wood box made of several exotic woods which some people call engineered wood art; MJ Venrick of Albertville with a large acrylic painting that is in the waiting area and another acrylic painting; and Justin King of Warrenton with two Lake Guntersville photographs. This year-long exhibit also includes two art pieces from MVAC’s Permanent Collection including Frank Nelson (deceased) of Warrenton with a watercolor; and Pam Watters (formerly of Fort Payne) with a French oil pastels piece. This exhibit is especially diverse with the six different art mediums.
The office staff commented that the artwork is a constant source of conversation by visitors and raises MVAC artists’ visibility. A large oil painting (from an earlier exhibit) by Marty Bibee formerly of Guntersville is permanently on exhibit in Lt. Governor Ainsworth’s personal office. Each artist receives a certificate commemorating their artwork’s exhibit.
2023 Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s Office Suite in Montgomery
An juried exhibit of MVAC artists’ work is held in Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth’s office suite in Montgomery each year. The MVAC Exhibits committee and Lt. Governor’s staff select the items on exhibit. The exhibit changes out in late January or early February.
2023 Artists: MJ Venrick - Albertville (shown below), Gretchen McKee - Langston, Kenyan Kelley - Grant, Lynnette Brown - North Marshall County
