The new Bell Gallery - another reason to visit Floyd

William and Joanne Bell opened their Bell Gallery & Garden today and it's everything we had expected it would be.

The gallery displays work by top local artists as well as work by William and Joanne themselves.

There was so much to admire and the quality was so uniformly high that it was hard to pick out a display that stood out from the rest, but the large framed photographs by William Bell were truly exceptional.

As you can see from the image above, the photos are so realistic that it is like standing in front of a window. William has developed a revolutionary mounting technique for his large format photos that does away for the need for glass to protect the photograph! As a result, the clarity and intensity of the framed photograph is undiminished from the original image.

After seeing one of these photographs, you will never want to go back to the old method of framing again.

The gallery is spacious and occupies the entire first floor of the building. There is a framing shop on the premises and a garden at the rear of the gallery. You will find it easy to lose an hour browsing through the imaginatively designed displays.

Everywhere you look, you will see evidence of the care with which the Bells created this gallery. For example, in the renovation of this historic building, they discovered that the walls were constructed of 8-inch-wide stacked hardwood boards!

As you can see in this photo, the boards were simply stacked one on top of the other with each row offset from the next to provide a gripping surface for the original plaster. The boards were nailed down and were overlapped on the corners like log cabin construction. You can see the inside view of one wall and a detail view of one of the corners which was exposed during renovations.

An original wall section has been varnished and left exposed in the rear of the gallery. For those of you who are architectural history buffs, it makes for fascinating viewing.

While I was shooting pictures and interviewing the Bells, Gretchen fell in love with some of Joanne's unique hanging glass. As a result, we now have some of these pieces hanging in our picture windows. Very nice!

Drop in and visit the Bells if you are in Floyd. The Bell Gallery & Garden is at 112 N. Locust Street in Floyd, VA, and is located right next to Oddfellas Cantina, where you can retire to celebrate your purchases.

Tell them you saw their gallery on the Internet.

Tag: Floyd, VA

Comments

[John A. Johnson]

Can you tell me if William Bell is the same William Bell who hand-crafted wooden flutes for an enterprise called the "Little River Flute Works?" I bought one of these flutes at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts many years ago and always hoped to purchases additional flutes, but never saw William Bell there again. The address on the sheet that came with the flute is Rt. 1, Box 912, Floyd, VA.

[Denise Goff]

I am trying to find William Bells web site and can not...
I attend a Appalacian Festival in Cincinnati every year to purchase one of his photos.....Much to my disappointment he was not present this year, and really has me quite worried and wondering how I can get in touch to make a purchase. I honestly put back a lil money every year for this yearly Mothers Day gift to myself.

[Linda Wray]

Hi,
This past summer I was at the Pittsburgh Art Festival and I believe I spoke with Bill Bell. I loved his ocean photographs and regret to this day I did not purchase one of them. So, I would like to know if there is any way I could see these photographs on line and possibly purchase one . I would also like to know if you will be part of the Pittsburgh Art Fair again in 2008? Looking forward to hearing from you. Linda

[Melvin Bailey]

I purchased flutes from you 15 to 20 yrs ago at the Cleveland home show. Alas all have gone by the wayside and I cannot find flutes that equal yours. Please let me know how I may obtain more.

[Karen Cada]

I purchased flutes from William Bell about 20 yrs ago at the Cleveland home show. I cannot find flutes that equal yours. Please let me know how I may obtain more. I am particulalry interested in the fifes you had listed in the small brochure that came with my flute.