By Clare Kirwan, contributor
Art enthusiasts have had a broad range of work to explore at the Smith House Galleries this summer, as the Arts Council of the Valley prepares for its latest two exhibitions that open Friday.
The Arts Council, which focuses on exhibiting emerging and established artists in its gallery, will host an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 1, at Smith House Galleries for the latest two shows that will be on display until Aug. 29.
Those exhibitions are: “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” by Agnieszka Elliott and “Ouroboros” by Emily Leary.
Elliott’s show aims to raise awareness about species less frequently encountered and is “a gentle invitation to pause, reflect and immerse ourselves in the wild splendor around us,” she said in her show statement.
Leary’s exhibition focuses on species commonly found in the Blue Ridge Mountains and uses “symbolism and intricate detail to express thoughts on mortality, growth, spirituality and the passage of time,” she said in an artist statement.
They follow two other displays from local artists that were featured in the gallery from July 3 to 25 — one focused on photography from life in Harrisonburg and Zambia, and the other showing paintings featuring message-driven elephants. The Council chooses the artists and shows every year, and while the 2026 show season is set, applications for the 2027 season are open until May 16, 2026.
Souls of the Valley
Mwizenge Tembo, a freelance photographer, exhibited “The Souls of the Valley and Zambia/Africa,” which included 28 photographs from Tembo’s time in both Zambia and the Shenandoah Valley.
The show features a range of subjects, including Kurdish dances at international festivals, lions in the wild and numerous portraits of people.
“I feel like I have two homes, so my photos reflect my life in those two social environments,” Tembo said.
Tembo spent his first 35 years in a small rural village in Zambia, he said. In 1967, when he was around 13, his father brought him a cheap camera, which sparked his love for photography.
In 1990, he immigrated to the U.S. to teach at Bridgewater College. He continued to take photos of anything and everything around the Valley.
“I like to take photographs that are the source of people. I want the photographs really to reflect their internal soul, especially with people,” Tembo said.
Tembo said his recent retirement gave him extra free time to think about turning his photographs into a show, so he applied for a spot in the Arts Council of the Valley’s 2025 exhibition schedule.
It was his first formal exhibition, and he described the process of choosing which photos to display a lot like a parent being asked to pick a favorite child is — nearly impossible.
When he narrowed the photographs down, his son helped him hang the exhibition.
Jenny Burden, executive director of the Arts Council of the Valley, said it was incredibly well done, and the organization was excited to have his work in one of its galleries.
Some of the subjects in the photos feel like they’re staring right at you, she said.
“As a photographer, especially if you’re talking about people taking photographs of people, you have to be lucky to take it just at the right time,” Tembo said.
The elephant in the room
The exhibition in the room next to Tembo’s show featured the works of Charlotte Shristi.
Shristi’s show “The Elephant in the Room” included ten mixed-media paintings, all with an elephant as the subject.
Upon deeper inspection, each work contains hidden messages regarding issues relating to climate change within each elephant, said Burden.
“It’s kind of a gentle invitation to look at this hard theme,” Shristi said. “The first thing you see are these big, bold, brightly colored images of elephants, and then as you focus in more closely on each painting, you notice some more detailed imagery superimposed on that, and those are based on photographs of, most often, climate change refugees that I’ve found and am using as a reference.”
Shristi said she was inspired by climate activist Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN, where she described the climate crisis as “the elephant in the room none of them wanted to address.”
Shristi has been working on the works in the exhibition since around 2015 and has shown the exhibition multiple times around Harrisonburg, she said.
While her work as an artist cannot fully support her, she was excited about the opportunity to exhibit at the Arts Council and said she believes the exhibition’s message is timely.
“It feels pretty relevant right now and what’s going on nationally and politically when our current administration is attempting to deport so many people who have fled countries and situations which are exacerbated by climate crisis,” Shristi said.
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