Winston-Salem Ambassadors | People of Winston Salem: Veronica Vale
Reblogged from Winston-Salem Ambassadors, originally published on May 26, 2023, written by Mackenzie Cates-Allen
People of Winston Salem: Veronica Vale
We are ALL about people, and connecting people, here at the #wsambassadors. Today we have artist Veronica Vale!
What’s your name, and what do you do?
My name is Veronica Vale, and I’m a studio artist, running my own art business at www.veronicavale.com.
Instagram: @veronica.vale.art | Facebook: @veronicavaleart
What’s your history?
I grew up around Raleigh, NC but I met my husband in the mountains at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Our shared love of the mountains and the outdoors took us out West for a few years where we lived in a cute little A-frame tucked away in the snowy alpine mountains of Utah. There I worked as a Fine Art Consultant at an art gallery while my husband worked as the manager of a ski shop.
Veronica Vale’s original painting “Wintry Wonderland,” inspired by the view from her A-frame in Utah
As idyllic as it was, we wanted to plant roots a little closer to home, so we moved back to North Carolina. Wanting to balance being close to family with our love of the mountains, we chose Winston Salem, NC as our home. Neither of us are from the area, but we found that this sweet little city was the perfect Goldilocks place for us: not too big and not too small. It’s close to the mountains, close to family, affordable, and has great opportunities in the medical field and in the arts (both of which were important to us).
When we first moved here, I worked as the Event Coordinator at the beautiful Reynolda House Museum of American Art before launching my own art business, selling original acrylic landscape paintings, high quality prints, art products, and more. My husband worked at Novant Health before eventually leaving his job to join me full-time in our art business. Now we both work from home on our family art business, traveling on weekends to art fairs all around the Southeast.
WHY do you do what you do?
Any time I was asked as a little girl what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer never deviated: I wanted to be an artist. Art has always been my passion, my comfort, my solace. I’ve loved exploring other avenues within the arts, but ultimately, my goal has always been to become a studio artist. Every day I’m overwhelmed with gratitude that I get to be what I always wanted more than anything to be.
Ever since I met my husband, Joshua, we had dreamed up ways to work together one way or the other. Now, after nearly a decade together, we finally get to turn that dream into a reality.
“Winston Salem Dusk,” acrylic, 36” x 48”
What’s your favorite part about Winston-Salem?
When I first moved here, I would have answered this question differently. I would have said that my favorite part of Winston Salem is the great balance of city life and the outdoors: the cute downtown, great restaurants, and coffee shops, balanced by the proximity of the mountains and access to beautiful hiking trails.
Now, my favorite part about Winston Salem is its support and enthusiasm for small businesses. I don’t know that I would have the art business that I have now if it weren’t for the affordability and the entrepreneurial spirit of Winston Salem. It’s what gave me the confidence to take the huge risk of starting my own business. Every Winston Salem local I meet is overwhelmingly supportive of new businesses, entrepreneurs, and the arts. It’s what makes me feel so lucky to call this place my home.
If you could take a trip to visit anywhere outside of Winston-Salem, where would it be and why?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled to many beautiful places all across the country and around the world and would return to any number of them in a heartbeat. However, as a mountain lover and outdoor enthusiast, I would prefer to travel somewhere with a great mountain culture where I can truly immerse myself in nature during the day and enjoy delicious food and wine in the evening.
For our honeymoon, my husband and I traveled through France and spent the majority of our time in Chamonix in the French Alps. If I could visit anywhere in the world, I would likely return to the Alps, but this time, in a different country like Switzerland, Austria, or Italy: anyplace where the alpine air is fresh, the views are surreal, and the cuisine is delicious.
“Pilot Mountain Tulips,” acrylic, 36” x 36”
Do you think you’re an ambassador for Winston-Salem?
Absolutely! Winston Salem is my chosen home, and every day I’m grateful to have found this sweet little Southern sanctuary.
Read the original piece by WS Ambassador’s President, Mackenzie Cates-Allen on Winston-Salem Ambassadors’ website or on Instagram.