Visitor viewing multiple framed paintings on a gallery wall

Welcome to The Artists' Alliance at Jarrett Thor Fine Arts

The Artists’ Alliance (AA) at Jarrett Thor Fine Arts is a cooperative art gallery showing work from over 20 of the finest regional artists in painting, photography, glass, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, and furniture.

Each month’s show includes a featured Artist of the Month. Exhibits change monthly, coinciding with Colonial Beach’s Second Friday Art Walk (6-9pm).

Peter Fahrney
Featured Artist-Photography
Artist Alliance/Jarrett Thor Fine Arts Gallery
February 2026

The theme for this month’s “Featured Artist” is The Watermen of Colonial Beach. The life and work of the watermen around Colonial Beach is a vanishing occupation as the resources of the River continue to disappear from their storied past. This display might be considered photo journalism concerning the recent historical past.

Two fishermen on a boat, harvesting seafood, with a pirate flag

The featured photograph is of two watermen, Junior Parker and Henry tonging for oysters on the “Kettle Bottom Shoals” near the Monroe Bay #2 red buoy. Tonging is hard dirty work. In the show are two more photos related to Junior Parker; “Miss Gladie II”, his work boat returning during a snow storm in January, and his crab shack in Monroe Bay, festooned by years of crabbing license plate permits.

Sadly, Junior and Henry have passed on; the Miss Gladie is not around, and the crabber shack, while still on the pier, is devoid of the iconic colorful licenses and the ever present stack of crab pots.

The classic locally built Chesapeake deadrise style of waterman’s boat, the “Miss Jean III” is now on land. Her fastidious owner cared for his craft with loving devotion for decades. However, Neely Little is no longer able to work the trade of a Virginia waterman. The fate of this historical style of boat is uncertain.

Other photos show modern day crabbers working their line of pots, mostly in the cool morning hours before the sun bakes the man and his catch.

Peter Fahrney has a long history with Colonial Beach and the lower Potomac River. He began his photography hobby nearly 60 years ago with film camera and B&W silver halide prints. While most of his pleasure in photography is now with digital equipment, he maintains a darkroom for occasional film work.

Mary Davenport, Featured Artist
March 2026

The opening is Friday, March 13, from 6-9, and the show runs from March 13 – April 5.

The Artists’ Alliance (AA) at Jarrett Thor Fine Arts is pleased to feature painter Mary Davenport for the month of March. Painting with acrylics and sometimes collaging, this naive artist has found her way through deep personal loss to express herself in ways that are exciting, dynamic and tell a story. She began painting through a friendship with Connie Canby who is one of the directors at the Alliance. Connie suggested she try her hand at painting and from there creativity has evolved. Starting from that initial encouragement Mary continues to bring her authentic and expressive approach to many local subjects.

In addition to the featured show, AA members are displaying an array of painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, jewelry, and wood furniture in the main galleries.

Carl and Joyce Thor continue to sell their art in the adjoining galleries. The gallery is located at 100 Taylor St., Suite 101, in Colonial Beach. The public is invited free of charge. The gallery is open Friday – Sunday, 11-5. For information call 804 224 7200, 804 224 6007, or 301 452 1333, artgallerycolonialbeach.com.