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P. Buckley Moss

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Located on a winding country road in rural Mathews County, Virginia (pop: 8,533), the headquarters of P. Buckley Moss Galleries blends in seamlessly with its residential neighbors. The house-like appearance of its buildings/complex does not hint from the road that this has been the national distribution center since 1994 for renowned artist P. Buckley Moss, who died July 13, 2024 at age 91 after a short illness.

Moss, dubbed “The People’s Artist” in 1988 by American television journalist Charles Kuralt, continues to have followers for her art and legacy.  One of her six children, Patty Moss, has overseen the Mathews center and its half-dozen employees since 2005.

“Mom painted her last print about one and a half months before she passed,” explains Patty. “My siblings and I became partners [in the company], and [it] will go on as long as we can.”

In 1951, Patricia Buckley, a girl who just wanted to draw and paint, received a scholarship to study art at New York’s Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, where she began to develop her unique style and honed her skills. After college graduation in 1955, she married John “Jack” Moss, a chemical engineer, relocating with him to Waynesboro in 1964, which became a pivotal place when it came to Moss’ art career.

It was in the Shenandoah Valley that Moss first felt drawn to rural landscapes and to local Amish and Mennonite communities who farmed in the area.  She began to include now-iconic Amish figures that populate much of her artwork, as well as developing other signature items that became distinctive in her work, such as big black trees and geese. Her art was characterized by intricate details and vibrant colors.

“Mom was about peace, family and faith, and always uplifting.  I felt like I could feel her emotion and peace, and I can feel the landscape [in her work],” Patty explains.  “She painted some from memory and some from photographs. She painted things that excited her.  The big black trees [in many paintings] became iconic. She loved them, because they made a statement about strength.”

Another “Moss staple” that recurs in her work are geese. Patty notes, “She just saw the geese in nature, and they took on a life of their own.”

Interestingly, when Patty Moss says she can “feel” the landscape in her mother’s work, she is echoing Moss art collectors, many of whom describe emotional connections to her artwork. In this sense, her work illustrates that art is not just something you see-it can be something that you feel.

 Moss started out as many artists do- by selling her paintings at local events near her then Waynesboro home. She did sidewalk art exhibitions and sold her art at various art shows. At some point she switched her signature from Pat Moss to P. Buckley Moss. After her first one-person exhibition in 1967 quickly sold out, she began to more seriously pursue marketing her art and hired a business manager.   

Her first marriage to Jack Moss, who predeceased her, ended in divorce. Moss later married her business manager, Malcolm Henderson, and bought her Mathews home. The house was originally a vacation home bought after Henderson’s son Jake and his wife moved to the area. Patty adds, “She also lived in St. Petersburg, Florida. At one point, she owned five different homes.” (In a 2008 public television documentary about her life, P. Buckley Moss called Mathews “peaceful, laid-back and conducive to [the] creative process”).

 The marriage to Henderson also ended. At her 2024 passing, she was predeceased by parents, siblings and son, John Damian Moss. She was survived by five remaining children including Patty Moss, Mary Donnelly, Rebecca Ghezzi, Virginia Moss and Christopher Moss, as well as ten grandchildren. A reception to celebrate her life was held at P. Buckley Moss Galleries on November 29, 2024.

Patty, who lived in Colorado for eighteen years, joined P. Buckley Moss Galleries in Mathews in 2005.Patty Moss says “the peak” of her mother’s art popularity was “right before the events of 9/11.”  At the height of her career, Moss’ work was represented by about 300 galleries in the United States, Canada and Germany.  Some galleries who sold Moss artwork featured the work of many artists, while others exclusively featured Moss artwork. Patty says that often Moss’ dealer network would actually request certain subjects and her mother would paint them. She also painted pieces via commission.  Today, her work is distributed by about 100 galleries.

“Mom was one of the most practical people, and she understood people,” Patty explains. “She started doing print editions in the 1970s. I am sure she began offering numbered prints to be more accessible [financially] to people.”

According to the P. Buckley Moss website, assigning numbers to limited edition print reproductions of art is fairly new, starting after the beginning of the twentieth century. Typically, artists now number prints so collectors will know a print edition is limited, and that their print is part of the “official” edition. Typically, the year the print was done appears, along with a copyright symbol © indicating the reproduction is copyrighted by the artist. With a numbering system, limited edition information is usually indicated in the lower margin of the print. For example, 114/250 would mean a particular print is number 114 out of a total of 250 limited edition prints issued. 

Regarding originals, Patty says, “She never stopped painting. She was very prolific, because she loved it.  We still have originals [for sale].  She painted all sizes, as the mood struck her… we have pictures of her painting a huge canvas on the floor.” Some of Moss’ older original art can sell for as much as $100,000.

Originally, the Mathews County center served as a distribution center for galleries selling Moss artwork.  Patty Moss says about fifteen years ago a website was added, also making Moss artwork available online via www.pbuckleymoss.com . On the website, shoppers can see artwork grouped by subject categories, such as animals, boating/sailing or churches. Some original art is also displayed on the website.

For the second time, P. Buckley Moss Galleries will be featured in this fall’s annual Made In Mathews Open Studio Tour held on two weekends in November and December. However, P. Buckley Moss Galleries will participate on Thanksgiving weekend only (November 28-November 30, 2025). 

In addition to paintings, prints and other Moss artwork, P. Buckley Moss Galleries offers gifts. Gift items include stockings, porcelain ornaments, porcelain jewelry, boxes, coasters, and trivets. All feature Moss artwork.

The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education also is part of Moss’ legacy. It began in 1995 when some dedicated members of the P. Buckley Moss Society, established in 1987, laid out the foundation’s framework and established two scholarships. The Moss Society formed to create an awareness of Moss art and promote charitable endeavors consistent with   Moss’ ideals.   Today, there are around 5,000 society members.  

Mary Morgan, office manager for the nonprofit Moss Foundation in Mathews since 2017, has an office at P. Buckley Moss Galleries.  She explains that the foundation raises money for grants and scholarships, including the P. Buckley Moss Endowed Scholarship, which provides up to $1,000 per school year to a graduating high school senior with a verifiable learning difference, who is planning a career in visual arts. The group’s Teacher Grant Program provides up to $1,000 per school year to a teacher for art supplies.  

Morgan says one of her “favorites” in terms of the grant program for art supplies was a recent grant made to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. Morgan notes, “The arts are not well-funded,” adding, “They were requesting clay as they were making models of a particular culture.”

The foundation hosts an annual gala dinner/silent auction as their main fundraiser. In July 2025, the gala was held at Valley Mills Farm in Swoope, Virginia near Staunton. Wine served at the gala was from Barren Ridge Vineyards in Fishersville. Barren Ridge produces two wines that feature Moss art on a special edition label. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these wines benefit the foundation.  The foundation also participates in Mathews Market Days held this year September 5-6 in Mathews.

 In 2013, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors named the university’s newly-constructed arts center The Moss Art Center in recognition of her pledge toward its construction and her prominence as an artist and advocate for arts education. Moss also painted numerous scenes of Virginia Tech, including one of her most recent works depicting the new Corps Leadership and Military Science Building.

Patricia Buckley Moss notes on the galleries’ website, “I do not paint the dark side of contemporary existence, for I am dedicated to painting the hope of the future—hope that seeds positive thoughts of love, family and the beauty of the world.”  She added, “Very early in life, when I failed at everything else in school, my art became my solace. What talent I lacked academically was more than made up for through my art.”

Patty Moss remembers her mother as someone who “never met a stranger,” adding, “People would wait in line to talk to her. It meant so much to her and to them. She felt her life was worthwhile. She was loved by her collectors. She loved what she did and thrived on it, and she loved kids.  She would say, ‘I’ll do the painting, you run the business.’  She left us a gift.”

Patty Moss says there has been no letup in demand since her mother’s passing and is committed to keeping P. Buckley Moss Galleries open. “How often do you get to work in a place surrounded by art? It’s a beautiful, peaceful place to work,” she says. 

For more information: P. Buckley Moss Galleries, Ltd.  www.pbuckleymoss.com 

Phone: (804) 725-7378