Thursday, October 14, 2004
P. Buckley Moss fans put art to good works
Moss in the Valley has donated more than $50,000 to Roanoke Valley organizations since it was founded in 1989, said Norma Roupe.
lindsey.wray@roanoke.com 777-3521
Norma Roupe is running out of wall space.
That's because much of the empty wall space in her Salem home is filled with paintings by artist P. Buckley Moss. There are eight in a sitting room at the front of her house, three in the foyer and so many others scattered throughout her house that she's lost count. More than 20 of Roupe's Moss prints remain unframed in an upstairs closet.
Aside from being an avid Moss collector, Roupe is president of Moss in the Valley, a group of Moss fans that raises money for various programs and organizations in the Roanoke Valley.
"I'm a definite supporter of her work and what she does," Roupe said.
Moss in the Valley has donated more than $50,000 since it was founded in 1989, Roupe said. In the past, the group, which has about 20 active members, has raised money for the Therapeutic Riding Program and for the Shriners. This year, in the spirit of Moss' Foundation for Children's Education, the group is paying for three Glenvar Middle School teachers to attend a convention about children with special needs.
"She has such a heart for children with learning disabilities," Roupe said of Moss.
At the monthly meetings, Roupe said, the group holds raffles of Moss prints and invites guest speakers who often talk about Moss' work. Because of Moss' popularity in the area, said Roupe, Nov. 7 was declared P. Buckley Moss Day by Gov. Mark Warner.
Roupe said Moss' work reminds her of a quieter way of life. She started collecting paintings after her sister introduced her to Moss in 1978. Roupe's paintings include one of Salem's Lake Spring Park and a scene with the Roanoke Star and Mabry Mill. Her favorite painting is of sheep; it hangs over her fireplace.
Moss also painted Roupe's 4-year-old grandson, Jacob, in a scene called "Box Boat." Using a photo Roupe gave Moss, the artist added a red fishing rod, overalls and a straw hat to Jacob's fishing pose.
Rachel Nichols, owner of Apple Barn Gallery in Buchanan, is also a Moss collector. She's involved in Moss in the Country, a group similar to Moss in the Valley that was formed in 1994.
"We have fun," she said, "and we do good things, too."
Nichols said Moss in the Country has at least 25 active members. Each month at meetings, the group takes up a collection for the Roanoke Rescue Mission. They also raise money for the Buchanan Resource Center and have a monthly Moss print raffle to collect additional funds.
Like Roupe, Nichols has Moss paintings in most rooms of her Troutville home.
"It doesn't take but one to get hooked," she said.
Moss in the Valley meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Ronald McDonald House in Roanoke. Call 389-4041. Moss in the Country meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Daleville. Call 992-3551.
