Lewisburg, West Virginia – Carnegie Hall invites the community to experience the newest installation in its ongoing Carnegie Hall ArtWalk, a self‑guided gallery experience that highlights original works by local and regional artists throughout the historic 1902 landmark. With four distinct gallery spaces featuring contemporary oil portraits, mixed‑media collaborations, and heirloom‑level craft arts, the ArtWalk offers visitors a vibrant cross‑section of creative expression in a world‑class setting.
The Museum Gallery features the evocative textile works of Holly Lei Cole, a Virginia‑based fiber and art‑quilt artist whose practice blends drawing, painting, sewing, and mixed‑media techniques. Cole’s work explores themes of endangered species, animal–human relationships, and the complex emotional terrain where nature, vulnerability, and storytelling intersect.
Before turning to art quilting in 2016, Cole built a celebrated career as a costume and set designer, contributing to productions for Broadway, The Muppets, Ringling Bros. Circus, regional theaters, and multiple universities. That theatrical background continues to shape her visual language: her quilts are richly layered, character‑driven, and deeply narrative, often incorporating hand‑drawn elements, painted surfaces, and sculptural stitching. Each piece invites viewers into a world where wildlife becomes both subject and storyteller, revealing the fragility, resilience, and quiet dignity of the natural world.
Cole’s exhibition offers an intimate look at an artist who uses fabric not just as material, but as voice — weaving together environmental awareness, emotional resonance, and the tactile beauty of fiber art.
The exhibition is free and open to the public through the end of June, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to explore all four galleries as part of the Carnegie Hall ArtWalk.
Carnegie Hall programs are presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
