Are you weary of staying home, having nowhere to go, even if you could? Have I got a solution for you!

How about a day or a weekend trip to Hot Springs, and a visit to the Bath County Art Show? This is a stupendous show with hundreds of works of paintings, sculptures, mixed media and photography, all spread out for you inside Valley Elementary School’s cafetorium and classrooms. The show is in its 56th year, and, really, it seems to get better all the time. It might be one of the largest art shows in Virginia.

Well, except for last year, when for the first time ever, it had to be canceled. But then, wasn’t everything canceled last year? This year, it’s back on, from July 17 through July 25. The show features artists from across Virginia, and beyond our borders. It’s open every day from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

I can look around my house and enjoy several pieces I bought there through the years. My very favorite is in my bedroom. It’s a painting I might have commissioned; it shouts to my Caribbean soul.

I remember when I spotted it, when it was on an easel far across the spacious room. If I knocked you aside racing toward it, I apologize. I did not want to see anyone stick a red “sold” sticker on it before I got there.

No worries, though. Really, how many folks in our gorgeous mountains and bucolic farm settings are hankering for a painting of two blue macaws, kissing in a banana tree, with a lavender background?

It had everything I love: tropical birds, banana trees and lots of lavender. I did not care what it cost, it would be mine! I was selling real estate at the time, so price was really no object. (Sure, there are some paintings and sculptures I could never hope to afford, but there are those priced for the regular working person, too).

Once, I found a stunning photograph, framed in driftwood, of a rainbow trout that actually looked like a watercolor. I don’t know how this feat was accomplished, but I loved the effect. Sadly, it had a “sold” sticker on it. I was dejected, until I noticed the photographer’s name. Hey, I went to school with Ann Stinnett; we were friends. I called her and almost before I knew it, she had prepared and sent me my very own piece. We both laughed when we discovered that it was another friend who had bought the one at the art show.

In case you’re an artist, you should know this is a non-juried show. What that means is, it is open to all. So, why not give it a go? You can find all the particulars and register to enter at the Bath County Arts Association website at bathcountyarts.org.

There’s so much to see and do in Bath County. You may want to make your trip last longer than a single day. In that case, visit discoverbath.com, to find lodging and dining and recreational opportunities. We’ve got lots to choose from.

One final note about the Bath County Art Show: If you find a piece of art you simply can’t live without, buy it. But, you won’t be able to take it home until the show ends at noon, Sunday, July 25. Look at it this way: It’s a great excuse to come back to beautiful Bath County.