A slice of life: Local artists exhibit work created for calendar

View larger image Dan Voss, a former Montgomery College faculty member who taught design, photography and art for nearly 40 years, looks over a painting in front of a wall of artwork that he and fellow local artist Wolfgang Neudorfer created for a 2010 calendar. The calendar art exhibit is on display this month at 7 East Gallery in Woodstock. Rich Cooley/Daily View larger image Voss hangs a painting he did of a friend and her Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the calendar art exhibit at 7 East Gallery. Rich Cooley/Daily

By J.R. Williams -- jrwilliams@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- Two Shenandoah County artists have teamed together to create a 2010 calendar featuring scenes from Woodstock, and their original artwork is up for grabs.

The project is the brainchild of local painter Dan Voss, a former Montgomery College faculty member who taught design, photography and art for nearly 40 years.

Last year was his first calendar venture. Voss painted every piece that appeared in the 2009 calendar, which was sold by word of mouth and at local stores.

"I was searching for a project," he said, "and a friend said, 'why not do a calendar?' It was a natural thing to do."

The project was a success, and it has returned for another year -- but this time, the works that appear in the calendar will be on display at the 7 East Gallery in Woodstock. The exhibit began this week.

For the 2010 edition, Voss found a partner to share the workload. Wolfgang Neudorfer, who retired from the Department of the Interior and has been painting local scenes for decades, contributed to the project.

Neudorfer has seven paintings represented, including the cover, and Voss contributed six.

The images Voss presented in the 2009 calendar -- real and imagined scenes from the town of Woodstock -- will return in theme this year. There are local businesses, landscapes and town milestones created in Voss' acrylic or Neudorfer's oil.

Both men are part of about 10 members of the 7 East Gallery, which opened in 2003 as a partnership with the Valley Educational Center for the Creative Arts.

The artists rotate their work through the display space, and part of the gallery has been set aside to display the calendar art through the month. Jewelry, glasswork, and other handmade gifts also are on display there.

"Since we both are members of the gallery, we thought we would pursue a little bit more publicity" this year, Voss said.

Nearly all of the 2010 calendars have already been sold. After printing 200, Voss said about 40 are left.

The remaining copies will be on sale during a Friday reception at the gallery for $12 each. Most of the pieces that appear in the calendar are on display now and also will be available for sale.

The artists say they'll be there from 5:30 to 8 p.m., and the public is invited to attend. Friday is the same night as Woodstock's Christmas festivities, and the gallery's location next to the courthouse puts it in a prime spot for those already out on the town.

Neudorfer said he enjoyed painting all his works that appear in the calendar: Woodstock streetscapes, landscapes and farm and winter scenes. But one piece stands out in his mind.

The cover depicts the Oct. 17 dedication of the life-sized statue of the Rev. Peter Muhlenberg. Neudorfer used photographs to create the work of art, and locals might see someone they know, he said.

"I've got a crowd out there just as it was," he said. "You can recognize some people by the way they stand, their posture."

Voss said two of his works stand out as favorites -- one of a friend on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and one of chickens, roosters and ducks.

"My daughter lives here and raises them," he said. "It's a family favorite. ... I did the ones I thought were a little different, not the kind of traditional Woodstock scenes."

Neudorfer said the calendar could return next year with scenes outside of Woodstock.

7 East Art Gallery, at 123 S. Main St., Woodstock, is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.