Born in Winchester, Fraula-Hahn moved away after college and lived for many years in San Diego. However, she returned home about 10 years ago to be with her aging parents. Within a year of moving back, Fraula-Hahn's parents passed away.  They died within six months of each other," she said. "My mother had Alzheimer's [disease]."

Fraula-Hahn said it was a painful time, and five years passed before she could bring herself to sort through some of their belongings.  When the pain of losing her parents began to lessen, she began looking through many trunks, folders and photo albums where the history of her family began to unfold. Fraula-Hahn said she began to paint from many of the old photographs and newspaper clippings about two years ago and then she "couldn't stop."

There were also letters, articles of clothing and other items that intrigued her, she said. Many of the letters were from her great grandmother, Sallie Robinson, to her aunt, Opal Robinson Solenberger, and grandmother, Mabel Robinson Cather. From these letters, she began to learn about the women in her family from a different point of view.

"It wasn't a plan to paint the series." she said. "Everything just kind of evolved. I was inspired by these women and these objects As she painted, Fraula-Hahn also experienced a healing process, especially when she began a painting of her mother, Mary Gail Cather, at age 16, which became the first of her "figurative" pieces.

"So, when I did that piece of my mother it was definitely a healing process because "I was celebrating their life and what they had passed on to me," she said of her parents. "It was a healing process or an awakening of knowing it was OK and remembering the happy times when they were not ill."

Before this collection. Fraula-Hahn always painted tropical, intense, exotic pieces, she said, and considered herself a contemporary artist.

"The irony is that here I am..." she said. "I was the black sheep and now I'm the family historian. The fact that I'm here is ironic."

"Soul of the South" includes paintings of Fraula-Hahn's family members, as well as a slice of local history From "Aunt Opal's Swarthmore Reunion-Class of 1916," to "A Basket Full of Shenandoah Peaches, Apple Blossom- 1925," the work looks back to another place and time in Winchester and Frederick County. The lobby of the Bowman Building has been transformed into a gallery complete with string lighting, paper lanterns, a sound system and music for the exhibit, which Fraula-Hahn describes as a multimedia show. Along with her work, she will display some of the original photographs, newspaper clippings, hats, purses, and items that belonged to her family. An artist's reception today from 6 to 7 p.m. will mark the opening of the exhibit.