Art Show

Take a Walk on the Wild Side: An Invitational Art Show
Old Stone School
37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA
June 6-7, 2025

See the wonders of the natural world through the eyes of artists. Join us in the Old Stone School at the Loudoun Appalachian Trail Festival to "take a walk on the wild side."

Come to an opening reception and meet the artists on June 6th at 6pm. It's time to eat, drink, be merry—and get inspired to wander in the woods. Art will be available for purchase during festival hours June 7th (11am–5pm), with the artists on hand throughout the day to talk about their work. Artists include Mike Wurman, Laura Partain, Rhianna Wurman and Jess Sauder.

Meet The artists

MIKE WURMAN

Mike Wurman, a pencil artist, lost his inspiration and packed up his pencils. Then a hike on the A.T. changed everything. Mike had no backpacking experience when he set out on a thru hike in 2014. In his pack he carried two sketchbooks and some pencils. As Mike puts it: "I took a walk from Georgia to Maine looking for inspiration and motivation. I discovered so much more—passion." Now a full-time artist, Mike works and lives in Asheville, NC.

PASTELS, SKETCHES, BOOKS

Laura Partain

Photographer Laura “Half Pint” Partain's self-induced thru-hiking sabbatical with her camera in 2024 yielded both a completed thru hike and substantial photo essay. Using a panoramic camera and shooting over 250 rolls of film, Partain created a body of work that explores both the human experience of the trail and the natural world surrounding it. At home in Nashville, TN, she is currently working to create a fine art photo book from the experience.

PHotography, postcards

Rhianna Wurman

Graphic designer Rhianna Wurman found herself in a cubicle as a production artist at a label printing company, yearning to express her own artistic voice. That’s when she started her art and paper goods shop, Ello Lovey, on Etsy to see if it had wings. Before long, it was flourishing, and she took the leap to become a full-time freelance illustrator. Since moving to the mountains of Asheville, NC, her art has been inspired by nature, animals and an adventurous spirit.

Prints, cards

Jess Sauder

The woods are where Jess Sauder finds renewal, wonder and inspiration for her soul and art. She’s hiked small portions of the A.T. in VA, PA, NY and ME, but usually finds herself closer to home these days. In 2020, Jess began getting to know her feathered neighbors and started painting them in an old French-English dictionary using watercolors and white gouache. She is slowly-but-surely learning to identify Northern Virginia’s regulars, and now paints birds on wooden panels covered in upcycled paper.