Fayetteville WV

The Fayetteville “Meet the Artist” is our new series celebrating our growing art scene by highlighting local artists and the diversity of art you can find in Fayetteville!  We wanted to time our first Meet the Artist with the upcoming Art House Night at The Grove, by featuring the talented Ginger Danz.

Born in Indiana, Ginger has been creating art as long as she can remember. Her she started pursuing art in earnest in high school and she kept creating art when she became a counselor.  In 2010 she juried into Tamarack and decided to become a professional artist. “Making art has always been part of who I am; very rarely do I view something beautiful without calculating how to capture it in painting,” said Danz. Ginger moved to Charleston, West Virginia in 1998 and made several trips to Fayetteville. She visited Cathedral Café and fell in love with the “vibe” of the town. She and her husband moved to Fayetteville in 2004.

Danz says she finds inspiration in the colors and textures of nature and animals. She loves to paint farm animals, especially goats and chickens.  Danz said, “They make me laugh, and capturing their beauty and quirkiness is a goal. I love putting a smile on people’s faces.” Her subjects have included her friends’ Nubian goats Lucille and Celeste, and countless roosters and hens. Danz likes to capture a feeling of joy with her art and she hopes that it resonates with the viewer.

Danz primarily uses acrylic paint, and also likes to create with paper collage using ripping and gluing techniques to create textured backgrounds for her paintings. When she is not creating art you can find her outside enjoying the local trails. She also enjoys baking, reading and volunteering.

After returning from a trip to Italy last year, Danz was inspired to create a series inspired by the country’s beautiful scenery.  Danz’s current work has been focusing on abstract landscapes inspired by the beauty of West Virginia, mainly nearby Summersville Lake and the New River Gorge.  Danz said she likes to “capture the feel, the colors, and the “NRGy” of the New River Gorge.” Danz remarked on the large number of artists working in the area, and the high level of community & merchant support for the arts.

Danz teaches art at the New River Gorge Learning Cooperative, as well as community art classes and workshops, and serves as Chair of the Fayetteville Arts Coalition. The Fayetteville Arts Coalition works to support local artists and to promote the arts in our community. We are excited that the Fayetteville Arts Coalition has made its new home here in the Fayetteville Convention and Visitor Center Building. Danz said the Fayetteville Arts Coalition will be offering regular art classes and art events in the coming months, so stay tuned to their facebook page for more information: www.facebook.com/FayettevilleArtsCoalition/

You can see Ginger Danz’s Art at The Grove, where she is the featured artist for the month of August. There will be an artist reception August  3rd from 7pm to 9pm. Her work can also be found at www.gingerdanz.com.