Featured Artist: Bob Watson
Robert (Bob) Watson is an active member of the Top of WV Arts Council (TWVAC) and has been a part of the group for many years. You may know him from his watercolor paintings and pastel drawings of landscapes and structures that draw the viewer in with delicate details. Bob is originally from the tri-state area but moved away at the age of sixteen. He is the husband of Jane Watson, another ambitious member of the TWVAC.
The couple returned to West Virginia in 2012 after Bob retired from working as a licensed architect for over forty years in Atlanta, GA. He is a member of the Georgia Watercolor Society, Pittsburgh Watercolor Society, Steubenville Art Association, and the West Virginia Watercolor Society. He is also a Weirton Hall of Fame member. To Bob, being a part of the TWVAC is to help raise awareness of the visual arts and to enhance the cultural fabric of our community.
“Art is very important to me, as I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t doing something that involves art. I become totally engrossed in the process,” said Bob. “Thomas Merton, a businessman turned monk, stated it best when he said ‘Art enables ourselves to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time’. That’s me.”
Bob helps with curating high school student art shows at the Summit Art Gallery, and ensures that many other TWVAC events run smoothly. When Bob plans an event, there’s always a fantastic turnout. He hopes to someday bring in nationally known artists to display in the gallery, and even have them conduct workshops.
“The TWVAC is important to the area because a few people foresaw a need to raise the cultural aspect of our community with art. No one would have dreamed that there would be a place where local artists and invited visiting artists would one day be featured. The TWVAC is active with shows in the Summit Art Gallery, the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, the libraries, and various other venues. Who would have imagined but for a few,” commented Bob.
You can explore the Summit Art Gallery and shop for Bob’s artwork at the Top of West Virginia CVB, located at 3539 Main Street, Weirton, WV.
