All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Sikara Sokel’s solo exhibition ‘Luminescence’ opens Nov. 7 with opening reception at CAC Gallery in Buckhannon

The Colonial Arts Center and the CAC Gallery will present ‘Luminescence,’ a solo exhibition by Sikara Sokel, from Friday, Nov. 7, through Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.

An opening reception is set for Friday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m., with an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. All gallery events are free and open to the public.

The CAC Gallery is open 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sokel is a contemporary painter from Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and a 2024 graduate of Shepherd University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She primarily works in oil, reimagining traditional portraiture through vibrancy, light and color.

Her work has been shown at The Phaze 2 Gallery in Shepherdstown, W.Va.; Two-Two-Eight Gallery in Fairmont, W.Va.; and D’Art Center in Norfolk, Va. Her work has also appeared in Sans Merci, Shepherdstown Art Magazine, You’re Not Seeing Things, Create! Magazine and Splashland Magazine.

Sokel is passionate about the arts, culture and people of Appalachia and aims to keep the arts alive and accessible throughout West Virginia and the Appalachian region. Additional work can be found at sikarasokel.com.

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