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.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The figure of a heroic female was proposed to be added to the State Seal of West Virginia in the 1990s, though the effort died in the statehouse, and the matter ended without explanation. West Virginia artist Earl Ferguson, who was commissioned to design the new seal, said he was disappointed never … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — “King Coal,” a feature-length documentary by West Virginia-raised and Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Curren Sheldon and Elaine McMillion Sheldon, makes its home-state premiere at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, West Virginia, on July 8 at 6 p.m. The West Virginia International Film Festival presents the event and will feature the 75-minute … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Nearly 30 years after Patricia Bright was first introduced to the artwork of modernist Blanche Lazzell, she and her husband, Bill Bright, are helping to bring the state native’s work home with a $1 million gift to West Virginia University. The Brights’ contribution supports a $1.5 million fundraising effort to expand the … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Ideal locations are key to creating good film and television content, say the organizers of a two-day workshop for location scouts and managers in the Mountain State. West Virginia is increasingly becoming a location for television and movie making, according to the W.Va. Film Office and W.Va. Filmmakers Guild, which is teaming … Read more
If you’ve had the benefit of seeing your business profiled in the news, you know how immediate and far-reaching the impact can be. Nothing boosts a business like a news story, and thanks to the Internet, news stories can be broadcast further and faster than ever. West Virginia Explorer Magazine now provides a news-profile service … Read more
Winter in West Virginia is a delightfully varied season. The Ohio and Potomac lowlands and sheltered southern valleys witness only a few blanketing snowfalls, though the Allegheny Mountains, rising to more than 4,000 feet above sea level, are practically Canadian in climate and can be beset by blinding squalls long into spring. Photographer Rick Burgess … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Former West Virginians are increasingly interested in art that recalls the past in the Mountain State, says an artist launching a series of Christmas sketches he created more than a quarter-century ago. Seay Earehart, who is perhaps best known as the artist who creates monsters in the Stranger Things television series, says … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Hosted by the West Virginia Storytelling Guild, story-tellers Linda Durrett, Karen Vuranch, Mikalena Zuckett, and Jodi French-Burr will weave tales on Saturday, November 19, from 2-3:30 p.m. at Tamarack at Beckley, West Virginia. The four speakers, who are widely known for their skills, will perform in concert with the worldwide observance of … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va.—Organizers of a third annual oddities fair being celebrated September 24 in historic downtown Beckley say things are about to get even odder. Sponsored by the Beckley Arts and Entertainment Exhibition, otherwise known as BEX, the Oddities and Curiosities Fair, will host the expanded open-air market with more than 40 artists and vendors, including … Read more
An enigmatic stone face carved into mossy sandstone along the rim of the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia is attracting increased attention as tourism grows in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Though its origins are popularly regarded as a mystery, the bas-relief countenance was likely carved in the 1950s, and … Read more
