Working the Virginia Highlands Festival

The Virginia Highlands Festival has long been considered one of the top 100 tourist events in the United States, and one of the top 20 in the Southeast. A wide array of interests are catered to during the full two weeks of the Festival. Best known are the antiques market, the juried arts and crafts show and the performing arts, music series and youth and family programs. Also, home and garden events, local history considerations, outdoor nature excursions, fine art and photography competitions and creative writing lectures are also a part of the choices.

The job of the Festival Photographer is to capture the essence of the Festival each year so that archived photographs are available for future publicity and promotion. “Essence” usually relates to “things,” “people enjoying things," and “faces” which always tell the full story. I hope you enjoy this small sample of my work from the 2008 Festival and get a feel for why the Virginia Highlands Festival is always the highlight of my photographic year.

--Claude Kelly

2008 Virginia Highlands Festival

Click on the images below for a larger view.

"Reflecting Myra" Fine Art Workshop

"Four Horses" Photography

"Tea Party for Three" Fine Art

"Christmas Balls" Arts & Crafts

"You talking to me?" Youth & Family

"Bubble Blower " Youth & Family

"Chubby Checker" Youth & Family

"Revolutionary Craftsmen" History

"Antique Lamp" Antiques

"Kitchen Island" Home & Garden

"Table Setting" Home & Garden

"Colors" Arts & Crafts

"Bag Pipers " Music Series

"Civil War Heroes" History

"Whitetop Mountain" The Great Outdoors

"The Martha Reflected" Street Scenes

"Beauties" Youth & Family

"Bungee Babe" Youth & Family

"Donna Hughes" Music Series

"Little Stony Creek" The Great Outdoors

Claude Kelly, winner of the 2003 Visual Artist Award from the Art Guild of Greater Kingsport, has a long history of achievement and service to the photographic community. He has won numerous awards in international and regional competitions, provided photographic instruction in various venues, regularly judges area competitions, is the co-founder and program coordinator of the Kingsport Senior Center Photo Group and has served as the Festival Photographer for the Virginia Highlands Festival since 1997. In 2002, he was selected as the Signature Artist for the Festival which utilized his work on the annual magazine cover, art poster and promotional apparel.