West Virginia culture is a captivating blend of rich Appalachian traditions and vibrant high culture infused with the jazz of surrounding U.S. cities like Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The state is renowned for its deep-rooted Appalachian heritage, which is showcased through folk music, storytelling, and traditional crafts such as quilting and woodcarving. Visitors can experience this authentic culture at local festivals and heritage museums throughout the Mountain State. At the same time, West Virginia also embraces high culture, with world-class performances at the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed theater productions at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and art exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art. This unique mix of mountain traditions and refined artistic offerings makes West Virginia a true cultural gem in the heart of Appalachia.
(Editor’s Note: Ever think of writing poetry? We’ve asked Marc Harshman, the poet laureate of West Virginia, to provide a few tips to help new poets move forward. As the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic is leading many people to isolate, we thought it might be an ideal time to help nurture the poet in each of … Read more
West Virginia State University is celebrating Arbor Day with a Facebook-based art project designed to encourage children isolated by the COVID-19 outbreak to create tree-themed posters. Hosted by the university’s extension service, “ABCs of Trees” online art project is open to children ages 3 to 18, and participating is simple, says extension agent Liz Moss. … Read more
Two renowned architectural firms based in Virginia and West Virginia have announced a merger that will provide integrated design services across both states. Charleston, W.Va.,-based ZMM Architects & Engineers and Blacksburg, Va.,-based OWPR Architects have joined forces to create a regional design firm that employs more than 50 highly-skilled professionals. The expanded firm will blend … Read more
Home-made soap was universally used in West Virginia before the commercial product became available in the 20th century, and spring was ultimately soap-making time. Soap was made with pork fat, beef tallow, or mutton fat, and lye—ingredients that were generally available in good measure by the end of winter. After butchering season in autumn, the … Read more
Author and engineer Homer Hickam says he trusts that the native bravery he knew growing up in West Virginia will help others weather the troubles that result from the 2019-2020 coronavirus outbreak. Hickam, who famously preserved a glimpse of life in the state’s southern coalfields in his book “October Sky,” is reading selections from his … Read more
Maps donated to the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War will give researchers in the Battle of Antietam a clearer picture of the military movements that took place on September 17, 1862, according to Potomac region historians. Donated through the Shepherd University Foundation by Bonnie and Bill Stubblefield, the maps … Read more
Residents of the mountain counties of West Virginia have traditionally weathered the ravages of communicable diseases with some success. Isolation here flattened the peak of most outbreaks, with the notable exception of the air-borne “Influenza of 1918.” Outside the mountain counties, epidemics might destroy without restraint, and the cholera outbreak of 1832-1834, which battered the … Read more
Each dollar spent on the arts in West Virginia turns into 23, the governor of West Virginia said during the fourth annual Arts-in-our-Communities Conference today at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Governor Jim Justice addressed groups of artists from across the state during the two-day conference hosted by the West Virginia … Read more
The Appalachian Studies and Communities at Shepherd University is accepting submissions by May 1 for its 2020 West Virginia Fiction Competition. The competition was created to encourage writers and storytellers whose talent and creative writing ability is distinctive and promising and to foster an appreciation of Appalachian culture and values represented in the diverse writing … Read more
What do West Virginia high school students think about when they consider iconic West Virginia images? The winning entries for the 2020 Create-a-Quarter-for-West-Virginia contest reveal much. In conjunction with Presidents’ Day, the sixth installment of the Student Artist Series, was emceed by West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice, who established the series to promote the … Read more
