By Jessica Coleman -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL - Two local organizations are working together to bring visual art and literature by local women into the spotlight.

This month, the Blue Ridge Arts Council and the Front Royal Women's Resource Center will present "Virginia Monologues," an art exhibit combined with literary readings featuring pieces by local women artists and writers. Tuesday, artists and council staff were working to hang and arrange the art in the exhibit at the Blue Ridge Arts Council & Gallery, at 305 E. Main St. And there was literally art from the floor to the ceiling, as one metal sculpture, by Cheryl Urbauski, is actually so tall that it raised the ceiling tiles.

"I love that this new creative vital spark has started," said JoEllen McNeal, coordinator of the resource center. "To me, it's exciting. It feels like something's cooking."

Kim Crump, executive director of the arts council, said the exhibit is a precursor to a statewide celebration of women's art scheduled to take place in the spring of 2010. The movement, "Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts," will feature performances, exhibits, literary readings and films based on the theme of women in the arts.

While Crump said it is exciting to have an exhibit dedicated solely to women, "what's more important is combining art and literature."

Heather Davis, a local poet who recently founded an intermediate writers' group in Front Royal, has recruited 10 writers to read their works, including poetry and prose, at the opening reception for the exhibit. Each writer will have five minutes to read their work.

"I think it's cool that they're together," Davis said. "There's so many ways to express yourself, and women are doing all these things."

Ten visual artists will also have one or more pieces of art on display at the Blue Ridge Arts Council & Gallery for about seven weeks. The art includes many types of media, such as painting, sculptures, photography and mosaics. All the art is available for sale, Crump said. And many of the authors will have their published works for sale, as well, Davis said.

"I think what's neat about this is the variety," McNeal said. "You can't pigeon-hole women's art or women's writing. Each woman has her own unique way of expressing herself and the world."

Janet Brome, a local artist, was working Tuesday to set up a large screen sculpture in which portraits were creased and bent into the material. She said she has worked in other media, as well, but finds the screen sculptures to be something unusual in the art world.

"It helps if you are not doing what everyone else is doing," she said, adding that the variety of pieces in the upcoming exhibit are quite varied.

Ann Georgia McCaffray, of Sperryville, has three pieces in the exhibit. She said it is always a good to have artistic people in one room together. McCaffray said she hopes people are inspired by all the works in the show.

"I'm hoping people come and say, 'Wow! This is wonderful. I can do that,'" she said.

The artists involved also include: Sandra Varney, Linda Tarry, Jeanne Drevas, Kelly Walker, Geraldine Kiefer, Andrea Stuart and Marilea Waters.

Writers involved in the project are Sally Anderson, Gay Cameron Snell, Kristin Camitta Zimet, Julia Campbell Johnson, Heather Davis, Wendell Hawken, Lynne Johnston Lewis, Laura Madagan, Maggie Stetler and Mary-Sherman Willis.

The exhibit runs from today through Oct. 3. The opening reception will be held Aug. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m., with literary readings taking place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Blue Ridge Arts Council & Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 635-9909 or visit the Web site at www.blueridgearts.org.

* Contact Jessica Coleman at jcoleman@nvdaily.com