Tucker Hill’s work lives on after his death. On two consecutive weekends in May, the Etlan-based artist, well known in the Rappahannock County arts community, will be honored.The Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle’s Mother’s Day show is, in the words of its founder Trish Crowe, “dedicated to the light and creative spirit of Tucker Hill.”The art show, called “Know Your Place,” runs May 7 to 9 at Crowe’s Firnew Farm, 19 Wolftown-Hood Road, near Hood in Madison County.
On May 15 in Washington, Caulfield Gallery will hold an opening reception from 2 to 6 p.m. for its month-long exhibition celebrating the life and art of Tucker Hill. The exhibition opens May 13 and runs through June 14. Hill, who passed away unexpectedly this winter, singularly and exquisitely captured the Virginia Piedmont landscape in his unique and memorable monotypes – each reflecting an instantaneous photographic image of a particular place at a particular day and time. Earlier in his career, he served as executive director and state historic preservation officer for Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources and as an architectural historian for the White House of the Confederacy. From his home at the foot of Old Rag Mountain, Hill not only created his own works of art but also collaborated with colleagues in imaginative projects around the Rappahannock area. “His practice of recording the location, date and exact time represented by each print was part and parcel of his keen observation,” recalled Crowe. “No one ever saw an ‘anonymous’ print by Tucker Hill . . . In this practice, he was saying this place, this time shown in this print is important. It is worthy of your attention. This is how the light appeared. The light is what gives the landscape its character.” A scholarship for talented high school artists has been started in his memory. Crowe said contributions to it can be made at both her “Know Your Place” art show and the Caulfield Gallery and Studio. “Not only was Tucker a wonderful artist that I had the pleasure of working with and representing,” said Cory Caulfield, “but also a good friend. He had a warm laugh, a love of life and, as far as I saw, was never in a bad mood. He embraced life and the world around him; his monotypes are proof of this.”
A Tucker Hill monotype.
For more information on the “Know Your Place” art show:www.TheStudioFirnewFarm.blogspot.com. For details about the Caulfield Gallery reception and exhibition: 540-675-3214 or www.caulfieldgallery.com Written by Walter Nicklin
courtesy of the Rappahannock News