Salem Museum features art exhibition by Byron Dickson through October
Byron Dickson / Photo courtesy of John Long
The paintings of architect and painter Byron Dickson is currently featured in an exhibit at the Salem Museum. “To Learn To See” features some two dozen of his most recent paintings, many of which are for sale.
Dickson is a 1957 graduate of Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, which is where he began to paint. A teacher asked him and some other students to collaborate on a painting of a paddle wheel steamboat on the Mississippi. Dickson became so engrossed with depicting the smoke from the stack that he failed to notice he had it blowing forward instead of behind the boat. Nevertheless he was hooked.
Later, serving in the Army, Dickson supplemented his meager lieutenant’s income by painting portraits of senior officers in their dress uniforms. When he left the Army, he opened his architecture firm, but continued to paint. He is best known as the designer of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford.
“The key ingredient in art,” says Dickson, “is to learn to see. “When you paint something, you really start to see it.”
Dickson recently was awarded First Place honors in the oils division in the League of Roanoke Artists annual showcase, as well as honorable mention in the Westlake Library juried show.
“To Learn to See” will be on display at the Salem Museum through October.
The Salem Museum is located at 801 East Main St. in Salem, and is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. No admission is charged for the Museum galleries.
Submitted by John Long, Salem Museum.
October 5, 2012 - 8:00 PM
Wonderful painting. I have long been an admirer of Mr Dickson’s architectural designs, especially his design of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. I had no idea that he is now painting. Good to see him utilizing his wonderful talent.