Jolly Company: Porch Gallery Workshop

Join us for a community art workshop on Friday, October 23rd from 2-4PM on the VAC Plaza!

Inspired by Jake McCord’s self-taught whimsical painting style, we will create large scale paintings of friends, family, or pets on brown craft paper to display on the Visual Arts Center “porch.” No registration required, and participants of all ages and artistic experience levels are welcome!

Jake McCord, a self-taught artist from Georgia, frequently said that making art was something he did “just for fun.” He lived and worked alone and considered his art to be “company.” Once a painting was complete, McCord would install it on his front porch to share the work with the community, engaging passersby and sparking conversation. McCord’s works are products of his imagination and his unique vision of the world. Looking at his paintings is an invitation to enter McCord’s lively and colorful world and a reminder that anyone can express themselves through creating art.

This workshop is in conjunction with Jake McCord: Jolly Company, which is on view at the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum August 13 – November 14, 2026.

Image Credits: Jake McCord, Untitled (Hold On), circa 1990s. House paint on plywood. On loan from Traveling Art Exhibitions (travelingartexhibitions.com)

Community event in Roanoke, Roanoke city County, VA 24020.