Fred Carter: Primitive Things of Toil and Love

Born in Duffield, Virginia in 1911, Fred Carter did not begin making art until his fifties when a foot injury left him temporarily homebound. A man of deep conviction, Carter spent the next 30 years of his life giving form to his beliefs in stonework, poetry, short stories, painting, and, of course, woodcarving. 

He displayed many of his works in his Cumberland Museum, the door of which was adorned with the simple message, “Primitive Things of Toil and Love.” This exhibit celebrates the life, legacy, and work of one of Southwest Virginia’s finest artists.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website