WEIRTON, W.Va.– Works by West Liberty University’s Art Professor, and Nutting Gallery director Brian Fencl, are currently being featured at Summit Art Gallery in Weirton, West Virginia.
The “Strange Vases” exhibit opened on August 28th and features paintings from Fencl’s “Strange Vases” series, as well as some of the artist’s other works. The exhibit will be on display until October 3rd. Fencl made an appearance at the opening reception and spoke about the exhibit.
In his artist statement, Fencl says the series is a tribute to his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. “The first sign of her cognitive decline was her habit of 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.”
The full artist statement is posted in the gallery. Programs are also available, but may be limited.
Among the other works featured are Fencl’s plain air paintings and drawings from his travels. Many of these pieces are for sale with prices displayed; however, the Strange Vases collection is set to appear in a solo exhibition in Cleveland, Ohio, in January 2026, where the entire project will be displayed. As a result, those works are not currently for sale.
You can see more of Fencl’s work on his website www.fenclstudio.com.
The Summit Gallery is located in the “Top Of West Virginia CVB” at 243 Three Springs Drive, Suite 17, Weirton, WV. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30am to 5pm.
The gallery features a new exhibit every two months in their exhibition room, with art from various local artists on display in the hall, and the lobby that doubles as the visitor’s center.
More information about the gallery and their upcoming events can be found at www.topofwv.com/summitgallery. The gallery is run by the Top of WV Arts Council.
Fencl provided this statement; “I am grateful to the arts commission members of Weirton and the staff at Top of WV for hosting the show and the warm reception. These are people dedicated to making their community better.”
