Shelley Koopmann grew up in New York surrounded by art and music, but it wasn't until she and her husband retired to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, that she was able to pursue her dream of creating art.

Shelley works primarily in pastels, a pure pigment medium used by such famous artists as Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt. She finds the Virginia landscape wonderfully inspiring, and also continues to paint the beaches of Long Island and the coast of Maine.  She has received numerous awards including First Place at the League of Roanoke Artists Showcase.  This year, 2009, Shelley entered her first national show and had the honor of having 2 of her paintings accepted.  Her work is part of the Carilion Clinic's permanent collection at Smith Mountain Lake and in Roanoke.  You can see her work at Gallery 108 in Roanoke, Artfully Framed at Smith Mountain Lake, The General Store at Smith Mountain Lake, Art on Depo in Bedford, and numerous other places in Southwestern Virginia.  Shelley is past President of the Bald Knob Artists, a group of approximately 50 artists from the area. She is also a member of the League of Roanoke Artists, The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, the Smith Mountain Arts Council, and Artists on the Loose.

Awards:

2009 – Bald Knob Artists Show

2008 – League of Roanoke Artists

2007 – League of Roanoke Artists

2005 – League of Roanoke Artists

Juried Shows:

2009 – Lynchburg National Fine Arts Academy Show

2009 – Roanoke College Olin Gallery Show

2007 – Roanoke College Olin Gallery Show