The arts in West Virginia reflect the state’s rich Appalachian heritage, creative spirit, and thriving talent. From vibrant galleries and community theaters to renowned music festivals and artisan craft shops, West Virginia offers an endless array of ways to experience authentic Appalachian art and culture. Visitors can explore local studios, enjoy live performances of bluegrass, folk, and contemporary music, and discover handmade pottery, quilts, and woodwork that celebrate traditional craftsmanship.
It begins with an errant wind on a balmy day. Leaves on trees turn upward, revealing their silvery undersides and a rolling cushion of cloud builds in a darkening sky. Suddenly, a jagged light flashes, and rumbling thunder answers. The show begins. As a storm chaser and photographer, I’m enthralled by lightning! At the hint … Read more
For more than a year after this iconic photograph of the New River Gorge hit social media, West Virginia Explorer editor David Sibray spent countless hours attempting to find its then-unnamed source, Wendy Parks Scott. Scott had published the popular image without a watermark, and the image went viral, so it appeared the editor might never get … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia this week formalizes the adoption of “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” as an official state song, according to a chief proponent for the move.
