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.
Braxton County’s monster is unique among legendary West Virginia creatures in that its origins are quite clear: it came from outer space! Beyond that, little is known of the monster, also known as the “Green Monster” or “Flatwoods Monster,” or of what became of it, at least as far as the legend goes, says David … Read more
Wheeling Heritage is asking artists to share their vision of Wheeling, West Virginia, for a mural to be installed in the city’s Kossuth Park, a downtown greenspace at the junction of W.Va. 2 and I-70. Alex Weld, project and outreach manager for the Wheeling National Heritage Area, said the organization will enlist the community to … Read more
Editor’s note: The fifth installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates The Savage Divide region, which is based on the Allegheny Mountains region and its lofty Allegheny Front. The Savage Divide cuts across what’s being called “Appalachia” in Fallout 76. The name alone suggests a unforgiving … Read more
Information being updated. New locations added. Last update 11/15/2018 The new virtual map for the Fallout 76 video game is filled with real-world locations in West Virginia (WV), many of which may or may not exist in their game-world form. Nate Purkeypile, Fallout 76 world artist, says developers have in some cases changed the locations … Read more
The new Fallout 76 video game — to be released by Bethesda Softworks on November 14, 2018 — might have been set in Pennsylvania rather than West Virginia. However, one of the game’s developers says he found West Virginia’s landscape more alluring. “We were considering either West Virginia or Pennsylvania, but I decided I liked … Read more
Born into relative obscurity in the valley of the Greenbrier River in Alderson, West Virginia, Ada “Bricktop” Smith became one of the world’s most iconic personalities of the Jazz era, a singer, dancer, and the owner of clubs in Rome, Paris, and Mexico City. In October and November, her story is brought to life in … Read more
Editor’s note: the fourth installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates The Ash Heap region, which draws on the bloody history of mining and industrialism in West Virginia’s coalfields. The southwestern area on the Fallout 76 map, “The Ash Heap” — with its blackened appearance and … Read more
Mothman isn’t just any West Virginia monster, says David Sibray, publisher of West Virginia Explorer, who contends the beast that’s alleged to have haunted the hills near Point Pleasant may play a remarkable role in the upcoming Fallout 76 video game. “Of the five monsters we cover at West Virginia Explorer, all of which seem … Read more
Do you believe in monsters? David Sibray hasn’t come clean on whether he does but admits the legend of the Grafton Monster of northern West Virginia is a subject that deserves investigation, at least where folklore is concerned. West Virginia Explorer has released the third in a series of video interviews that regard the lore … Read more
Rural and mountainous, West Virginia is home to some of the most star-spangled skies in the eastern U.S. — a circumstance of which photographer Jesse Thornton has made good use. https://wvexplorer.com/2018/08/17/west-virginia-night-jesse-thornton/2/h Seen from the top of Seneca Rocks, car lights trace US-33 and WV-55 through the vale of the North Fork of the South Branch … Read more
