October 8 - November 14, 2026
This exhibit features 93 pieces of artwork created by 58 artists from across the country. The exhibit was curated by our juror/judge Whitney Brock. The exhibt includes art created in a variety of mediums including acrylics, oils, watercolor, charcoal, fabric, cold wax, photography, creamics, mosaics, and more.
Exhibit Awards Reception: October 23, 5-7 PM, Remarks/Awards-6 PM
Special Thanks! The awards for Bower Center’s 14th National Juried Exhibit
have been made possible by a generous donation from Marjory Milligan.
Meet the Juror/Judge - Whitney Brock
Whitney Brock is an American realist painter best known for her large-scale oil portraits that capture the depth, dignity, and silent stories of her subjects. While she has been an artist since childhood - winning her first art competition in the fourth grade (a ribbon she still proudly owns) - her work has evolved into a distinctive blend of precision and empathy, anchored in classical draftsmanship and human connection.
Born in Maryland in 1967, Whitney’s life has taken her across the globe - from New York and Missouri to Hawaii, New Zealand, and ultimately Virginia, where she now lives with her husband and raised their family. These diverse landscapes inspired her earlier work, particularly in natural themes like river rocks and shells, rendered with immersive realism. In recent years, Whitney has found her most powerful artistic calling in figurative and portrait painting. This shift reflects her passion for storytelling, using paint to preserve emotion, presence, and the quiet moments that define a life.
Whitney attended Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, though she credits her self-taught foundation and daily discipline as the real force behind her success. Her work has earned numerous national awards, two features in International Artist Magazine, and acquisition into the Carilion Medical Center’s public collection. Her paintings also reside in private collections around the world. Whitney is currently represented by LinDor Arts and The Little Gallery in Roanoke, VA, and Stellers Gallery in Jacksonville, FL, and continues to maintain a full schedule of commissioned portrait work, which currently includes Tim Sands, the President of Virginia Tech.
