HARRISONBURG, VA (Arts Council of the Valley) – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) kicks off the new year by opening two new exhibitions at Smith House Galleries on January 3, with a reception 5-7 pm during First Fridays of the Valley. Pure Imagination highlights acrylic and oil paintings by Chito Padilla, and Barely Contained Chaos features acrylic paintings by Karla Britfeld. Stop by the opening reception to meet both artists, discover their new work, and enjoy light refreshments.

Sponsored by Friends of Orlean, both exhibitions are on view through Jan 31, with in-person visits Monday-Friday, 11 am to 4 pm (closed Jan 20) and on Second Saturday Jan 11, 10 am to 2 pm. Each exhibition will also be available online (valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-current-exhibition/).

Artist Chito Padilla launched his painting career after years of working in International Development. Identifying as an intuitive painter whose gestural styles are heavily influenced by abstract expressionism, Padilla shares that “painting is an emotional experience for me. Perhaps because I am self-taught and came late into painting, I allow myself the adventure of creating in the moment. Once I sense the painting’s narrative, I let my brush articulate it. I do not dictate what others should see or feel. Art is always a personal experience for me and the viewer.”

Karla Britfeld has been expressing her emotions artistically her whole life. After immigrating from Canada to the United States in 1979, Britfeld worked as a hairdresser, makeup artist, and legal assistant. Through community college and a variety of evening classes, she enjoyed engaging with portrait photography, watercolor painting, costume jewelry, interior design, jazz piano, tap dancing, ballroom dance, and professional floral design. From all her experience, Britfeld has been most emphatically drawn to the joy of abstract art; its unpredictability provides her with an outlet for her creativity and encourages discovery as the works reveal themselves to her over the weeks – or months – she spends with each new heartfelt creation.