Half-Tone Folk Heroes exhibit opens June 1 at BRMC

GALAX — The visiting exhibit Half-Tone Folk Heroes: Traditional Musicians as Pop Art featuring illustrations by Gina Dilg will open with a reception from 3 to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 1, at the Blue Ridge Music Center. The works will be on display through October.

Dilg is a Radford-based visual artist and musician who brings a unique perspective to traditional American music. She created this exhibit to pay tribute to the old-time, bluegrass, early country, and folk musicians who have inspired generations.

Each illustration in the series is characterized by bold black strokes and a bright color palette achieved by layering halftone dots and lines in only cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Each work is displayed with a brief biography of the featured musician and tells about their contributions to traditional music.

From bluegrass legends like the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe to lesser-known musicians like Joe and Odell Thompson, Samantha Bumgarner, and Etta Baker, Dilg’s art pays homage to the greats and shines a light on widely celebrated and unsung musical heroes.

When Dilg is not creating art, she can be found performing as a duo with her husband Jason Dilg as the Lovely Mountaineers or with the string band The Mustard Cutters. The duo will perform prior to the reception from 12 to 3 p.m., during Midday Mountain Music session hosted on the covered breezeway. They play foot-stomping dance tunes and old country ballads of the American string band repertoire. Midday Mountain Music performances are free and held every day the Music Center is open.