Virginia Wright-Frierson has made Wilmington, North Carolina, her home for over 40 years. She travels extensively for inspiration for her painting and frequent visits with family across the United States.
She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with additional training at the Arts Students’ League in New York City and the University of Georgia Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy. Virginia has lectured and taught many workshops and classes in painting and drawing and on illustrating children’s books.
She is widely known for her design and construction of the Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel and Sculpture Garden at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, a structure built with mortar and thousands of glass bottles, inspired by the art of the visionary artist who worked in the garden for many years as a gatekeeper.
In 2000, Virginia donated the sweeping mural which is permanently installed on the ceiling of the new atrium at Columbine High School after the tragic shootings there. It is comprised of twenty painted panels which lift the eyes to a perspective of a Colorado forest of evergreens, aspen and sunlight.
She has written and illustrated many children’s books, including three John Burroughs Nature Book Award winners: A Desert Scrapbook, An Island Scrapbook, and A North American Rain Forest Scrapbook.
Her most recent work has included a one-person exhibition of 120 road trip oil paintings at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, and a “pop up” exhibit of new oils and watercolors at 216 N. Front Street sponsored by Art in Bloom Gallery.
At Art in Bloom Gallery, Virginia exhibits a variety of oil and watercolor paintings and lino prints inspired by nature, the figure, landscape, color and light.
Virginia’s website can be found at: virginiawright-frierson.com
