October 14, 2024
An art show celebrating personal expression – and featuring tattoos and the stories behind them of students and employees – is coming to Laurel Ridge this fall.
“Every Body has a Story” will be on display Tuesday, Oct. 22, in Hazel Hall on the Fauquier Campus, and on Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Corron Community Development Center on the Middletown Campus. The shows begin at noon and are open to the public.
There will be 20 posters on display, Laurel Ridge archivist John Owens said.
“They printed just beautifully,” he said. “They’re going to be on easels.”
October is American Archives Month, and the Library of Virginia has declared this year’s theme “Self-Expression.” Owens is on the Library of Virginia’s Archives Month Planning Committee.
“Somebody brought up the word tattoo, and it made a light bulb go off for me,” he said. “People have been really excited about it.”
Along with a photo of their tattoo, participants were asked to share the story behind it.
“There are some that will make you tear up,” Owens said. “When we chose personal expression, we were thinking of body art as a new way of storytelling with themes of permanence and memorial. Some people have just really great personal stories.”
He said a couple shared the story of their matching tattoos depicting their meeting at Laurel Ridge. Twenty students and employees submitted 28 pieces.
“That covers administrators, faculty, staff and students,” he said. “It’s a really good mix – half employees, half students.”
Librarian Kerry Kilpatrick is one of the Laurel Ridge employees participating in the show.
“When I heard about the art show, I was all in,” she explained. “I love tattoos because they’re history written into our skin. Tattoos tell stories, they symbolize what is — or was — important to us, and they evolve, just like us, with additions, cover-ups, removals. If you ask someone about a tattoo, you discover a little piece of who they are.”
Owens said individuals can later take the posters depicting their body art, but the others will be placed in the college’s archives.
Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations — Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County — the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Laurel Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. Laurel Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, [email protected], 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.