Explore West Virginia’s vibrant arts scene, from traditional Appalachian music and craftsmanship to contemporary galleries, theater, festivals, and the artists shaping the state’s evolving cultural identity.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Thirty-nine short films from across Appalachia will be screened free in a historic West Virginia theater in October as a growing regional film festival opens its doors to audiences without an admission charge. The Mtn Craft Film Festival will return Oct. 2–4 to the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center in downtown Clarksburg, … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Filmmaker Bob Ahmed was scouting the mountains of Virginia for a place to shoot his new movie when he got lost, his phone died, and he kept driving. Then he found the farm he had been looking for in West Virginia. That unexpected discovery eventually brought Adam’s Fire, a feature film about … Read more
WHEELING, W.Va. — Long before Dolly Parton‘s name began arriving on packages of children’s books in West Virginia homes, the young country singer was coming to the Mountain State to perform. Parton’s documented associations with West Virginia span 57 years, beginning with appearances alongside Porter Wagoner at Wheeling‘s WWVA Jamboree in 1969 and continuing through … Read more
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Long before bottles of detergent and wrapped bars of soap became fixtures in West Virginia homes, some families made a cleaning agent from two things they already had—wood ashes and leftover animal fat. According to an account by late Parkersburg journalist Cordelia Moellendick, preserved in volume 11 of the W.Va. Heritage Encyclopedia, … Read more
WHEELING, W.Va. — For travelers looking for an easy weekend getaway from Pittsburgh, Columbus or Cleveland, downtown Wheeling offers more than historic streets and riverfront views. This week, one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals is adding another reason to make the trip. Oglebay Institute‘s Parcel Players will present Guys and Dolls Aug. 6-9 at Towngate … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Long after the last whitewater rafts are pulled from the New River and winter quiet settles over the nation’s newest national park, one Fayette County town hopes artists will keep visitors coming. The community of Fayetteville, perched on the edge of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, is best known … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After a two-year tour that introduced museum visitors from New England to the Mid-Atlantic to the work of one of America’s pioneering modern artists, the largest exhibition ever assembled of West Virginia native Blanche Lazzell is returning home. The Art Museum of West Virginia University will reopen “Blanche Lazzell: Becoming an American … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia filmmakers have reached a milestone few would have imagined a decade ago. Earlier this year, two films produced by the Morgantown-based Allegheny Image Factory—Gaslit and The Bad Guardian—simultaneously ranked among Netflix’s five most-watched movies in the United States, an achievement that producer Jeff Tinnell believes is unprecedented for a homegrown … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Visitors traveling to Charleston this Independence Day weekend for West Virginia’s America250 Capital City Celebration can experience one of the nation’s most enduring patriotic stage productions when the Charleston Light Opera Guild presents the final performances of 1776, the Tony Award-winning musical that dramatizes the birth of the United States. The production … Read more
GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — Most visitors come to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve to hike its rugged trails, paddle its legendary whitewater, or stand in awe at the sweeping views from Grandview. But on Tuesday evening, attention turns from the landscape to the people whose songs, stories, and traditions have echoed through these mountains … Read more
