Bowles earns Folk Art Society’s Award of Distinction

Kathy Johnson Bowles, director of the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA), was presented the Award of Distinction by the Folk Art Society of America (FASA) in fall 2011. Bowles earned the award for her efforts to promote the value of folk art at Longwood University and for her dedication to the mission of FASA.

According to its website, the mission of the FASA is "to advocate the discovery, study, documentation, preservation and exhibition of folk art, folk artists and folk art environments, with an emphasis on the contemporary."  

Three-Ring Circus: Highlights from the William and Ann Oppenhimer Folk Art Collection was on display at the LCVA from September 2011 through early January 2012. The exhibition of 268 pieces of folk art included paintings, drawings, and three-dimensional works.

Bowles was named director of the LCVA in 2000. Under her leadership, the LCVA earned accreditation from the American Association of Museums in 2010. Accreditation from the AAM is a seal of approval for the LCVA's high professional standards and dedication to public service. Nationwide, only 4.5 percent of all museums are accredited.