Greg Clary – Poetry & Photographs
“The Vandalia in Me”
Weekends April 11 – May 25
Opening Wine & Cheese reception and Poetry Reading: Sunday, May 4, 4 to 6 PM following the Beethoven Chamber Music Concert of Pianist, David Allen Wehr and Cellist Anne Martindale Williams at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall.
For the complete Appalachian experience, view the exhibit before the bluegrass concert by fellow West Virginian and 14-time IBMA winner Missy Raines and Allegheny on Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 PM in Lincoln Hall.
The Red Brick Gallery in Foxburg opens its 2025 season on Friday, April 11 with an exhibit of photographs and poems by Greg Clary from his latest book, “The Vandalia in Me,” as he takes us wandering on gravel back-roads through the hollers of down-home Appalachia where he lived on his family’s homestead in southern West Virginia and then for 40 years in the northwestern Pennsylvania Wilds.
Clary’s poems and photographs are rooted in his personal experiences and observations of the Appalachia he loves and the people and events he has encountered along the way. He writes, “These images and words share the common theme of seeking beauty among the ordinary and infusing them with respect and significance.”
Plan to view the exhibit more than once and to take your time. Linger with the poetry as it tumbles off the walls with his images that honor the dreams and hopes of your neighbors around the bend. AND – you can take his book home with you – on sale in the RBG.
In the Introduction to Clary’s book, Dave Newman writes of his Vandalia, “It’s a wild place filled with love and dreams. His world is… filled with deer hunting, rivers, and family. Biscuits and fried green tomatoes. It is hospital visits and rough bars and demolition derby. I’ve never seen poor and working-class folks and the places they go to save themselves photographed with such honesty. The shots of even the most rundown bars are filled with the brightness of dreams and possibility”
Be prepared to be moved. This exhibit needs to be felt, as Clary takes you through a time-warp portal into an immersive Appalachia, to explore with him as you have always wanted – just beyond a wrong turn down a dirt road in western PA or West Virginia.
Unrepentant
Poet Phil Terman writes of his book, “Clary wears his heart on his sleeve, and puts it smack on the page. Clary’s sensitive vision profoundly understands the miracle in each moment, the hero in each soul. He’s a poet of passion and compassion. His photographic eye notices the bearded man sitting yoga under the Dollar General sign and his tuned ear can distinguish the conversations in the checkout line. It’s a relief to encounter a poet that speaks in his own accent, chronicle the gestures in the hospital waiting room, in the corner bar… honoring the laborers, the precious encounters, the deeper wisdoms. He understands intimately that life itself is poetry.”
You can meet the Artist and hear him read his poetry at the Opening Wine & Cheese reception for the Exhibit on Sunday, May 4, from 4 to 6 PM following the Beethoven Chamber Music Concert of international gold medalist pianist, David Allen Wehr, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Anne Martindale Williams at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall. Tickets $25, ARCA Members $20, Students $5. Call 724-659-3153 to reserve.
Come back for an immersive Appalachian experience in Foxburg, moving from Clary’s RBG exhibit to Lincoln Hall on Saturday, May 17 concert at 7:30 PM for Missy Raines and her band Allegheny – the 14-time Bluegrass IBMA awarded who also grew up in a small town in WV and in her music pays “musical homage to the peaks and valleys of her native WV.” Tickets $25, ARCA Members $20, Students $5. Call 724-659-3153 to reserve.
Curious about Clary’s “Vandalia” – cap it off with a progressive immersion excursion in West Virginia on Memorial Day weekend to discover “Vandalia” – beyond the Benjamin Franklin-proposed West Virginia-Kentucky “14th” colony dedicated to the desire for a free government in the mountains. On Memorial Day weekend in Charleston, VW the “Vandalia Gathering” will celebrate the many influences of West Virginia folklife – from great Appalachian musician picking to Celtic and mountain flatfooting dancing.
Whatever you do – don’t miss this Red Brick Gallery exhibit running weekends in the Upstairs Gallery of the Red Brick Gallery is located at 17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036.
Weekend hours are: Fridays, 1-6 PM; Saturdays, 11 AM to 7 PM; and Sundays, 12 noon to 5 PM at
Advance Appointments outside regular hours available by reservation. For more information – Call 724-659-3153
About the Artist
Greg Clary’s photographs were featured with Byron Hoot’s poems in the 2021 RBG exhibit based on their book, “Piercing the Veil: Appalachian Visions” and in last year’s RBG Ekphrasis poetry and visual art exhibit, Clary’s “Bashful Cow” photograph was accompanied by a poem that his work inspired by John Miller.
Rare, however, is the artist that distills their observations in both poetry and photographs.
Greg Clary wrote, “Poets and photographers seek to authentically frame their own perspectives. Poetry is a portal into my identity… My poems serve as a catalyst for self-reflection and when it is working, I may discover hidden truths, unresolved emotions, and a newfound perspective on past events. A means by which emotions, thoughts, and experiences may be distilled into subtle, sometimes enlightened, expressions of my life. That captures the essence of my approach as a poet: an observer gazing out trying to make sense of it all.”
Even more rare is an artist whose artistic voice came to fruition late in life and after a successful career of administrative writing as Greg did – not unlike the never-too-late Grandma Moses – or the composer Charles Ives whose Americana melodies tumbled out with actuarial numbers from his successful insurance business. Greg Clary began writing poetry only after he had retired as a college professor, a career characterized by a steady stream of academic writing such as analytical reports, critical evaluations, course syllabi, research documents, and persuasive grant proposals.
Soon after retiring, he participated in an incredible 6-week Creative Nonfiction workshop in Pittsburgh that inspired him to continue writing creatively for my own enjoyment. He then became involved with the Watershed Journal Literary Group in Brookville and began writing poetry for the first time. He interacted with many talented writers and poets in our region who, in turn, have been tremendous sources of encouragement and guidance for him.
Clary has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Marshall University and graduated with the Ph.D. from Kent State University. He currently is Clarion University Professor Emeritus of Rehabilitation and Human Services. His photographs have appeared in many numerous publications, his writing and poetry have been widely published, and he is co-author of the ekphrastic photography/poetry book, Piercing the Veil: Appalachian Visions (2020).
His photographs have appeared in The Sun Magazine, Looking at Appalachia, Rattle, Hole in the Head Review, Pine Mt Sand & Gravel, Tiny Seed Journal, The Watershed Journal, About Place, Change Seven, Appalachian Lit, and many more.
His writing has been published in Rye Whiskey Review, The Bridge Literary Journal, Northern Appalachia Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Waccamaw Journal, Anti-Heroin Chic, Trailer Park Quarterly, Black Shamrock Magazine, Rust Belt Review, Tobeco, and Wild Wind: An Anthology of Stories and Poems Inspired by the Songs of Robert Earl Keen.
His photographs been exhibited at the PennWest Clarion University Art Gallery, Artist’s Hand Gallery, and the Red Brick Gallery.
His new book of photographs and poetry, The Vandalia in Me, was released by Meraki Press in October, 2024.
He is Co-author of Piercing the Veil: Appalachian Visions
Artist Statement
Poetry is a portal into my identity. A means by which emotions, thoughts, and experiences may be distilled into subtle, sometimes enlightened, expressions of my life.
I am currently reading The Trouble with Poetry, by Billy Collins. His work is accessible to me and infused with humor and insightful observations of the mundane aspects of life. He has a knack for transforming the familiar into the extraordinary. In the poem, Monday, Collins writes:
The birds are in their trees,
the toast is in the toaster,
and the poets are at their windows.
That captures the essence of my approach as a poet: an observer gazing out trying to make sense of it all.
This new book also includes my photographs arranged thematically with various poems. Some are wildlife and landscape images from western Pennsylvania and my West Virginia home place, while others focus on ordinary scenes and unremarkable objects.
Poets and photographers seek to authentically frame their own perspectives. My poetry and photography share the common theme of seeing beauty among the mundane and infusing them with a sense of significance.
Its Spring in Foxburg!
When planning your trip to Foxburg – plan to take a brisk walk in the gorgeous spring afternoon along the Allegheny River trail or rent bicycles or have a scenic pontoon tour (beginning May 1 through October) on the Allegheny River with Foxburg Tours!
Plan to enjoy the full spring day in FOXBURG on the banks of the beautiful Allegheny River – arriving early to walk or bicycle along the Allegheny or have lunch in The Allegheny Grille or Foxburg Pizza.
Or have a wine tasting or enjoy a bottle of wine on the patio of the remodeled Foxburg Wine Cellars.
Make it a weekend on the beautiful Allegheny – having a romantic overnight at The Foxburg Inn, where every room has a river view – and seating on the patio is the perfect place for reading or resting after a walk or bicycle ride.
