Greg Clary – Poetry & Photographs
“The Vandalia in Me”
Weekends April 11 – May 25
Opening Wine & Cheese reception: 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.
The Vandalia in Me is a collection of poems and photographs from someone who has lived in Appalachia for his entire life. First on his family’s homestead in southern West Virginia, then for the past 42 years in the northwestern Pennsylvania Wilds.
These poems and photographs are rooted in the author’s experiences and observations of the Appalachia he loves and the people and events he has encountered. These images and words share the common theme of seeking beauty among the ordinary and infusing them with respect and significance.
You can meet the Artist at the Opening Wine & Cheese reception for the Exhibit on Sunday, May 4, from 4 to 6 PM following the Beethoven Chamber Music Concertof International Gold Medalist Pianist, David Allen Wehr, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Anne Martindale Williams at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall. This is ARCA’s Founders’ Concert in memory of Dr. Arthur and Patricia Steffee, who founded ARCA and served as President and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively.
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 is a retired Clarion University professor of Rehab and Human Services who was born and raised in Turkey Creek, West Virginia. He has lived in the northwestern Pennsylvania Wilds for the past 40 years.
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.
