WHEELING - The work of two nationally and internationally recognized watercolor artists will grace the walls of the Studio Gallery at Artworks Around Town during the month of January. The exhibit will be introduced at the Gallery Hop from 5 to 8 p.m. on January 15th.

Juanita Williams grew up in Zanesville and describes herself as having created art of one kind or another most of her life. Largely self taught, she studied with Dr. Charles Deitz when he was the director of the Zanesville Art Center, an experience which she considered to be very valuable as she was encouraged to develop a style unique to what she was expressing in her art. This was finally achieved in the 1980's, but became an ongoing process as she has spent the past 13 years living and painting in New Mexico. While in the Southwest, she began to study aspects of the metaphysical in art which brought about a change in her subject matter which continues to the present time. Among her many awards was the top national award in the Rocky Mt. Watercolor Exhibition in Golden, Colorado. She has also won awards in the San Diego Watercolor Society and American Watercolor Society shows. She has exhibited with the Society of Layerists in Multi-Media in Marlborough, England and San Miguel Allende, Mexico.

Her work has also been displayed at a number of colleges and universities including: The University of Arkansas, Northern Arizona University, Dennison University, Franklin University in Columbus and Marietta College.

Her work has appeared in many art books including those of Mary Bea, her fellow artist in the Artworks exhibit, and Marilyn Phillis, who is a member of Artworks Around Town. It has also been used to illustrate a number of magazine articles, most notably an article in American Artists magazine by Stephan Doherty on art and healing, a subject in which she is deeply interested and which informs much of her Southwestern work.

Mary Todd Beam grew up in Dayton where she studied at the Dayton Art Institute and, subsequently, with American Watercolor Society artists Homer O. Hacker and Edward Betts. She presently spends part of each year in Cambridge and the rest in a cabin at the foot of the Great Smokey Mountains in Cosby, Tennessee where she works in her studio and draws inspiration from the community and surrounding landscape.

Painting in the abstract expressionist style, recent works have included one titled, "Shop Beauty at Phillis's" featuring a local beauty shop and another called "Farewell to Hemlocks" which has been featured in several articles and calls attention to the loss of the hemlock trees near her Tennessee home due to insect infestation.

The most prestigious award for a watercolor artist is the Gold Medal award of the National Watercolor Society's annual exhibition. She has won this award not once but twice!

She was recently honored as one of only 24 American artists chosen to represent the U.S. in the first China International Invitational Exhibit in Nanjing, China. The painting she selected to show is one of Little Cricket Creek which flows by her workshop in her mountain home.

Criteria for selecting artists for this show included: activity in national exhibitions the past 20 years, consistently winning important awards in these shows, works reflecting creativity and uniqueness, exerting a strong influence through teaching.

Mary Beam clearly lives up to all of these requirements. She is well known both nationally and internationally as a workshop instructor.

She is known for beginning her workshop sessions by officially conferring the title "Creative Artist" upon each of the attendees.

She said, "Attitude is a determining factor, and creativity begins when one gets beyond just trying to please others."

She is the author of two popular books, "Celebrate Your Creative Self", and the 2009 published "The Creative Edge". Of this latest book, Daniel Lombardo, "Library Journal" critic wrote, "Beam explores new ways to become deeply involved in the painting process, to interpret ones own life, and to see the world in new ways."

The North Gallery will house the work of the young residents of the Children's Home of Wheeling. The founder and instructor of the art program at the home is Joyce Patterson Schultze, and, under her tutelage, art has become a very important part of the lives of these young men. She is also an instructor at the Stifel Fine Arts Center and a member of Artworks Around Town.

The Artworks Gallery is located at 2200 Market st. in the North end of the historic Centre Market. The Gallery Hop is free and open to all. Refreshments and music will be part of the evening's festivities. For further information 304-233-7540.