William King Regional Arts Center is the only facility of its kind serving far Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Located in an historic 1913 building - a fully renovated former school - the Arts Center features museum-standard galleries showcasing art of the region and of the world. From the region's most compelling contemporary works to its historical decorative arts to art of the world - often that of non-Western cultures - you'll find it here.
Classes in the visual and performing arts are offered year-round for both children and adults, and school programs are available both on-site and directly in the schools through our outreach program.
The Center also features resident artist studios, an outdoor sculpture garden and museum store, and an historic house museum.
The Arts Center is a Partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and a member of the American Association of Museums, the Virginia Association of Museums and the Southeastern Museums Conference.
John Erhart Rose (ca. 1767-1860) apprenticed in Philadelphia, owned a shop in Abingdon, and also worked in Knoxville, Tennessee. John Erhart Rose was the son of Reading clockmaker Daniel Rose (1749-1827). He was named for Daniel’s father, Johann Erhard Rose, who owned a tavern in Reading and married Maria Eva Sallade. The father John Rose made high-style furniture, illustrating his training in Philadelphia, a significant historic craft center in 17th, 18th, and 19th century America. His son’s furniture represents Virginia’s backcountry style. His sons continued making furniture in the second half of the 19th century in Abingdon, Virginia. In all, the family’s furniture spanned over a century, creating and modifying styles such as federal and empire. The current exhibition features more than 22 pieces of furniture made by the Rose Family, in addition to the family’s history, genealogy, and importance to the region and nation throughout the 19th century. A Century of Furniture is the 21st exhibition in a series resulting from the Cultural Heritage Project, which presents the artistic legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Developed by the William King Regional Arts Center in 1994, the Cultural Heritage Project seeks to foster a full and accurate appreciation of the region’s role in American material culture by broadening the record of objects made by hand in the region prior to 1940. To date, over 2,000 examples of regional material culture have been photographed and documented by project fieldworkers.
The exhibit runs from July 25, 2008 - January 4, 2009. Admission is:
$3.00 Adults
$2.00 Seniors/Students
Children under 12 are Free
Sunday and Tuesday admission is free to all areas of the museum.
Thank you for visiting this site and we hope to see you at the WilliamKingRegionalArtCenter soon!
