Weirton, WV – The Top of West Virginia Arts Council will present. Stange Vases, an exhibition by West Virginia artist and education Brian Fencl, on display from August 28th through October 3rd, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 28th from 5-6 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Strange Vases series features oil and watercolor paintings and drawings in graphite or colored pencil. It explores unconventional still life compositions inspired by Fencl’s grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in the 1980s. The first sign on her cognitive decline was her habit placing groceries in unexpected places, like meat in the bread drawer or flowers in non-traditional containers. “This series is my way of making sense of the suffering caused by Alzheimer’s, and it serves as a heartfelt homage to her,” said Fencl.
Fencl’s work reflects his belief in art as both a repository of personal experience and a shared space for viewers to connect through observation. “When my work succeeds, it reveals our shared insights and attitudes about life,” he said.
A Colorado native, Fencl earned his MFA in Drawing from the New York Academy of Art and his BFA in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in California. He is a professor of Art at West Liberty University, where he directs the Nutting Gallery. His work has been exhibited widely across West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
The Summit Gallery is located inside the Top of West Virginia CVB at 243 Three Springs Drive, Suite 17, Weirton, WV. For more information contact the Top of WV at 304-797-7001 or email [email protected]
#
About the Top of WV Arts Council
The Top of West Virginia Arts Council is a subcommittee of the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau, focused on developing arts and culture in Brooke and Hancock Counties. New exhibitions open at the Summit Art Gallery every two months. Top of WV CVB represents the interests of its membership and encourages tourism, promotes the Arts, and increases economic activity and development to further the general welfare and prosperity of Brooke and Hancock Counties. Top of WV CVB is an independent non-profit organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Learn more at www.topofwv.comAugust 13, 2025
“Strange Vases” Exhibit Comes to the Summit Art Gallery
Weirton, WV – The Top of West Virginia Arts Council will present. Stange Vases, an exhibition by West Virginia artist and education Brian Fencl, on display from August 28th through October 3rd, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 28th from 5-6 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Strange Vases series features oil and watercolor paintings and drawings in graphite or colored pencil. It explores unconventional still life compositions inspired by Fencl’s grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in the 1980s. The first sign on her cognitive decline was her habit placing groceries in unexpected places, like meat in the bread drawer or flowers in non-traditional containers. “This series is my way of making sense of the suffering caused by Alzheimer’s, and it serves as a heartfelt homage to her,” said Fencl.
Fencl’s work reflects his belief in art as both a repository of personal experience and a shared space for viewers to connect through observation. “When my work succeeds, it reveals our shared insights and attitudes about life,” he said.
A Colorado native, Fencl earned his MFA in Drawing from the New York Academy of Art and his BFA in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in California. He is a professor of Art at West Liberty University, where he directs the Nutting Gallery. His work has been exhibited widely across West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
The Summit Gallery is located inside the Top of West Virginia CVB at 243 Three Springs Drive, Suite 17, Weirton, WV. For more information contact the Top of WV at 304-797-7001 or email [email protected]
#
About the Top of WV Arts Council
The Top of West Virginia Arts Council is a subcommittee of the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau, focused on developing arts and culture in Brooke and Hancock Counties. New exhibitions open at the Summit Art Gallery every two months. Top of WV CVB represents the interests of its membership and encourages tourism, promotes the Arts, and increases economic activity and development to further the general welfare and prosperity of Brooke and Hancock Counties. Top of WV CVB is an independent non-profit organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Learn more at www.topofwv.comAugust 13, 2025
“Strange Vases” Exhibit Comes to the Summit Art Gallery
Weirton, WV – The Top of West Virginia Arts Council will present. Stange Vases, an exhibition by West Virginia artist and education Brian Fencl, on display from August 28th through October 3rd, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 28th from 5-6 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Strange Vases series features oil and watercolor paintings and drawings in graphite or colored pencil. It explores unconventional still life compositions inspired by Fencl’s grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in the 1980s. The first sign on her cognitive decline was her habit placing groceries in unexpected places, like meat in the bread drawer or flowers in non-traditional containers. “This series is my way of making sense of the suffering caused by Alzheimer’s, and it serves as a heartfelt homage to her,” said Fencl.
Fencl’s work reflects his belief in art as both a repository of personal experience and a shared space for viewers to connect through observation. “When my work succeeds, it reveals our shared insights and attitudes about life,” he said.
A Colorado native, Fencl earned his MFA in Drawing from the New York Academy of Art and his BFA in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in California. He is a professor of Art at West Liberty University, where he directs the Nutting Gallery. His work has been exhibited widely across West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
The Summit Gallery is located inside the Top of West Virginia CVB at 243 Three Springs Drive, Suite 17, Weirton, WV. For more information contact the Top of WV at 304-797-7001 or email [email protected]
#
About the Top of WV Arts Council
The Top of West Virginia Arts Council is a subcommittee of the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau, focused on developing arts and culture in Brooke and Hancock Counties. New exhibitions open at the Summit Art Gallery every two months. Top of WV CVB represents the interests of its membership and encourages tourism, promotes the Arts, and increases economic activity and development to further the general welfare and prosperity of Brooke and Hancock Counties. Top of WV CVB is an independent non-profit organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Learn more at www.topofwv.com
