Governor Morrisey Proclaims March 21, 2025, Arts Day in West Virginia
Charleston, W.Va. – Today, Governor Patrick Morrisey signed a proclamation declaring Friday, March 21, 2025, as Arts Day in West Virginia during the annual Arts Day at the Legislature celebration. The event, held in the Capitol rotunda, is hosted by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and the State Arts Office and invites arts organizations from across the Mountain State to feature their organizations and raise awareness of the arts in West Virginia. This year, 55 exhibitors filled the Upper Rotunda with paintings, sculptures, live music, and hands-on art-making activities. Representatives from each region of the state gathered together to celebrate Appalachian art and artisans. Along with the Arts Day at the Legislature event, the State Arts Office also welcomed over 150 individual artists and arts organizations to Charleston on March 19-20 to participate in the annual Arts in Our Communities Conference hosted at the Culture Center,…
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Department of Arts, Culture and History Now Accepting Submissions for the Inspired: West Virginia Historic Figures Juried Art Exhibition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) is currently accepting submissions for the fourth installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions. This installation of the exhibit is titled West Virginia Historic Figures. Submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The exhibit will open Sunday, June 1, 2025, at 2 p.m. with an awards ceremony and reception at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. Inspired is a four-part series in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, highlighting visual representations of West Virginia themes. Previous shows focused on landscapes, historic buildings and structures, and wildlife. The exhibit will be displayed in the Commissioner’s Gallery of the Culture Center. Artists must be current West Virginia residents and may enter up to two pieces in each of the four exhibitions. Entries should be made within the past two…
Logan High School Student to Represent West Virginia in Poetry Out Loud National Finals
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Logan High School student Emily Porter will represent West Virginia in the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C. on May 5-7, 2025. Porter won the state competition hosted by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts on Saturday, March 1, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. Brittany Ward of Parkersburg High School was named the state runner-up. Porter recited Invisible Children by Mariana Llanos, The Coming Woman by Mary Weston Fordham, and Passive Voice by Laura Da’. Ward’s poems included Don’t Bother the Earth Spirit by Joy Harjo, How to Triumph Like a Girl by Ada Limon, and We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Forty-one students from high schools in 26 counties competed in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, with the top 10 contestants competing Saturday in the state final. A complete list of semifinalists and their schools…
2025 Congressional Youth Art Competition Winners Announced
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Six young artists have been selected as winners in the annual Congressional Art Competition, which is on display in the Balcony Gallery of the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston until April 1. The exhibition is sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH), in partnership with the West Virginia Congressional Delegation. On Friday, Feb. 21, WVDACH Museum Director Charles Morris and Acting Cabinet Secretary Ennis Smith welcomed guests and introduced Elizabeth Crump, representing Congresswoman Carol Miller, and Rhett Dusenberry, representing Congressman Riley Moore. First-place awards were presented to Emily Garrett, Braxton County High School, Braxton County, District 1; and Ava Scolapio, Robert C. Byrd High School, Harrison County, District 2. The first-place winners received a $100 gift certificate from Dick Blick Art Materials, and their work will represent West Virginia in a yearlong Congressional Art Competition exhibition at the United States…
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42 Students to Compete in West Virginia Poetry Out Loud State Finals on Feb. 28 and March 1
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Forty-two students from across West Virginia will recite poems by Nikki Giovanni, Robert Frost, Willie Perdomo, Emily Dickinson, and many others during the 2025 Poetry Out Loud state finals competition set for Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. All sessions are free and open to the public. The semifinal competition begins with Division I at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, followed by Division II at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final competition begins at 1 p.m. For the final round of competition on Saturday, the master of ceremonies will be storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp, whose humorous, family friendly tall-tales and stories have earned the appreciation of readers and listeners of all ages. In addition to the championship round of recitations, Saturday’s program will feature greetings from 2024 WV Poetry Out Loud state champion Willow Peyton, a…
2025 Youth Congressional Art Competition Submission Deadline Extended
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) is extending the deadline to turn in submissions for the 2025 Youth Congressional Art competition to Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions will be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus. Artwork submissions can be mailed, or hand delivered to the Culture Center. The WVDACH is scheduled to open the exhibition on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. Submitted artwork can be in any one of the following categories: paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer generated and photography. Each entry must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Each student can submit up to two entries. Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each piece of artwork can be no larger than…
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Department of Arts, Culture and History Announces New Juried Art Exhibit Opening from Inspired Series
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will open a new exhibition at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 2 p.m. with a reception and awards ceremony. This exhibit, titled West Virginia Wildlife, is the third installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions, featuring four different West Virginia themes. Twenty-six West Virginia artists, representing fifteen counties were selected for the West Virginia Wildlife show, which features thirty-two pieces, including painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, digital illustration, and mixed media. The exhibit will remain on display in the Lower Lobby and Commissioner’s Gallery at the Culture Center until May 9, 2025. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Sidney Duncan, Exhibits Coordinator for the department, at (304) 558-0220 or Sidney.L.Duncan@wv.gov.
WVDACH to Begin Accepting Submission for the 2025 Youth Congressional Art Competition, Dec. 2
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will begin accepting submissions for the 2025 Youth Congressional Art competition on Dec. 2, 2024, through the deadline on Jan. 31, 2025. The competition is open to high school students only. Exceptions will be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus. Artwork submissions can be mailed, or hand delivered to the Culture Center. The WVDACH is scheduled to open the exhibition on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. Submitted artwork can be in any one of the following categories: paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer generated and photography. Each entry must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Each student can submit up to two entries. Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each piece of artwork can be no…
WV Department of Arts, Culture and History Announces 2024-25 Poetry Out Loud Registration Deadline
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 2025 West Virginia Poetry Out Loud state competition registration deadline is set for Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. All West Virginia public and private high schools and homeschool associations are encouraged to participate in this free educational program, which is sponsored annually by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Non-school organizations, such as afterschool programs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations, may also sponsor a local Poetry Out Loud competition for students in high schools where the program is not offered. Interested students or organizational sponsors may contact the state Poetry Out Loud coordinator for more information about how to register. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country.…
Department of Arts, Culture and History Announces Opening of WV Emerging Artists Exhibition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will open a new exhibition at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at 2 p.m. with a reception and awards ceremony. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. This exhibit, the 2024 West Virginia Emerging Artists Exhibition, features artwork by up-and-coming artists from an array of disciplines. Fifty-seven West Virginia artists, representing 23 counties were selected for the show, which features 80 pieces, includingmixed media, craft, photography, digital art, painting, drawing, sculpture and print. The exhibit will remain on display in the balcony and theater galleries at the Culture Center until Feb. 2, 2025. For more information, contact Sidney Duncan, exhibits coordinator for the department, at (304) 558-0220 ext. 175 or Sidney.L.Duncan@wv.gov.
Department of Arts, Culture and History Seeking Entries for Inspired: West Virginia Wildlife Juried Art Exhibition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will begin accepting submissions for the third installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. This installation of the exhibit will feature West Virginia wildlife. Submissions will be accepted through Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. The exhibit will open Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at 2 p.m. with an awards ceremony and reception at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston and will be displayed through mid-May 2025. Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions is a four-part series in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, highlighting visual representations of West Virginia themes. The final installation will feature West Virginia Historic Figures. Previous shows have focused on landscapes, as well as historic buildings and structures. All parts of the series will be displayed in the Commissioner’s Gallery…
“An Evening with Bob Thompson” at the Culture Center in Charleston, Sept. 11
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will host “An Evening with Bob Thompson” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at the Culture Center Theater, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. The show is free and open to the public. Thompson will play some of his favorite tunes written by jazz pianists, past and present. The program lineup is as follows: “An Evening with Bob Thompson” “Memphis Blues” by W.C. Handy “Jitterbug Waltz” by Fats Waller “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Duke Ellington “Pannonica” by Thelonious Monk “Waltz for Debby” by Bill Evans “I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free” by Dr. Billy Taylor “You Taught My Heart to Sing” by McCoy Tyner “Little Burgundy Blues” by Bob Thompson Internationally known jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, Thompson is the house pianist and a featured performer on National Public…
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Department of Arts, Culture and History Announces New Juried Art Exhibit from Inspired Series
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will open a new exhibition at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston on Sunday, July 28, 2024, at 2 p.m. with a reception and awards ceremony. This exhibit, titled West Virginia Historic Buildings and Structures, is the second installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions, featuring four different West Virginia themes. Twenty-one West Virginia artists, representing twelve counties, were selected for the West Virginia Historic Buildings and Structures show, which features 33 pieces, including paintings, drawings, photography, mixed media and prints. The exhibit will remain on display in the West Virginia State Museum’s Commissioner’s Gallery at the Culture Center until mid-December 2024. The exhibit opening reception and awards ceremony is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Sidney Duncan, exhibits coordinator for the department, at (304) 558-0220 or Sidney.L.Duncan@wv.gov.
WV Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host the Governor’s Arts Caravan Across the State
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Governor’s Arts Caravan is coming to a town near you. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and the State Arts Office will host an upcoming arts caravan consisting of a series of five grant workshops around the state to discuss grant programs with artists and arts organizations. Each session will last approximately two and a half hours and consist of an overview of available grants and services provided by the WVDACH. The director of arts, grant coordinators, and Cabinet Secretary Randall Reid-Smith will be on-site to lead the workshops and answer any questions. All workshops are free and open to the public. Registration is not required. Locations and times are as follows: Monday, August 5, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Bloomfield Richwood (Richwood, Nicholas County) Tuesday, August 6, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Arthurdale Heritage (Arthurdale, Preston County) Wednesday, August 7, 9:30…
Department of Arts, Culture and History Accepting Applications for 2024 West Virginia Emerging Artists Juried Exhibition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) is currently accepting submissions for the 2024 West Virginia Emerging Artists Juried Exhibition through Sept. 6, 2024. The exhibit will open Nov. 3 at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. Eligible artists may submit two pieces for the exhibit jurying in painting, print/drawing, mixed media, craft/wall hangings, photography, digital art and sculpture. The pieces that are entered must have been created between 2022 and 2024. Digital images, not original pieces, are submitted for the jurying process. To be eligible to enter the exhibition, artists must be 18 years of age or older and maintain a permanent domicile in West Virginia. Exceptions to this requirement are made for students and military personnel who have West Virginia resident status and a home address in the state. Entrants must be listed on the West Virginia Artists’ Registry or…
WV Department of Arts, Culture and History Announces Partnership with Wing 2 Wing Foundation and Save The Music Foundation
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) announces a partnership with the Wing 2 Wing Foundation and the Save The Music Foundation. The Wing 2 Wing Foundation has contributed $280,000.00 to the WVDACH in its ongoing partnership with the Save The Music Foundation to enhance the continued instrument rebuild project in middle schools throughout the state of West Virginia. With this donation from the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, fourteen additional middle schools in 10 West Virginia counties over the next three years will benefit from the donation, ultimately reaching students across all 55 counties across the state. A full list is provided below. “Making sure our kids have the resources they need to succeed should be a priority for all of us,” Gov. Justice said. “I’m happy to know that it’s a priority for the Wing 2 Wing Foundation because, with their donation, we…
Department of Arts, Culture and History Now Accepting Submissions for the Inspired: West Virginia Historic Buildings and Structures Juried Art Exhibition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) is now accepting entries for the second installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions on. This installation of the exhibit will feature historic West Virginia buildings and structures. Submissions for Inspired: West Virginia Historic Buildings and Structures will be accepted until Friday, May 24, 2024, at 4 p.m. The exhibition will open Sunday, July 28, 2024, with a reception and awards ceremony at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston and will be displayed through mid-December. Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions is a four-part series in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States featuring visual representations of West Virginia themes by the West Virginia State Museum and the Department of Arts, Culture and History. West Virginia Wildlife and Historic and Prominent People will be featured in the Commissioner’s Gallery…
Governor’s Arts Awards Presented 11 Awards to Individuals and Organizations and 10 Legislative Leadership Awards
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts sponsored the Governor’s Arts Awards at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. During the awards ceremony, 11 Governor’s Arts Awards and 10 Legislative Leadership Awards in the Arts were presented. The 6 p.m. program included performances by Brodrick Hammers on piano; poetry reading by Braylie Smolders; choral performance by Pirate Crew of Village of Barboursville Middle School; and show choir performances by The TomCats of Nitro High School, General Admission of Winfield High School, and Voices in Perfection of Capital High School. A description of the awards and recipients is listed below. The Governor’s Arts Awards are presented biennially to celebrate excellence in the arts in West Virginia. The awards focus attention on the importance of arts to economic development in the Mountain…
2024 Congressional Youth Art Competition Winners Announced
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Six young artists have been selected as winners in the annual Congressional Art Competition, which is on display in the Balcony Gallery of the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston until April 1. The exhibition is sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH), in partnership with the West Virginia Congressional Delegation. On Friday, Feb. 23, WVDACH Museum Director Charles Morris and Deputy Curator Andrea Thompson welcomed guests and introduced Madison Neeley, representing Congressman Alex Mooney, and Elizabeth Crump, representing Congresswoman Carol Miller. First-place awards were presented to Emily Garrett, Braxton County High School, Braxton County, District 1; and Caleb Roselius, Robert C. Byrd High School, Harrison County, District 2. The first-place winners received a $100 gift certificate from Dick Blick Art Materials, and their work will represent West Virginia in a yearlong Congressional Art Competition exhibition at the United States Capitol…
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St. Marys High School Student to Represent West Virginia in Poetry Out Loud National Finals
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – St. Marys High School student Willow Peyton will represent West Virginia in the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C., on May 1-2. Peyton won the state competition hosted by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts on Saturday, March 9, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. John Spellman of Morgantown High School was named the state runner-up. Peyton recited “A Song: Lying is an occupation” by Laetitia Pilkington, “How to Triumph Like a Girl” by Ada Limon, and “The Poem You’ve Been Waiting For” by Tarfia Faizullah. Spellman’s poems included “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats, “The Light the Dead See” by Frank Stanford, and “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Forty-four students from high schools in 28 counties competed in the semifinals on Friday,…
11 Arts Grant Programs Available for Application to Artists, Arts Organizations
CHARLESTON, WV – Applications are now open for 11 arts grants through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. These grant programs are available for application by artists, local governments, and not-for-profit organizations with an arts-related mission. Funding for these programs is made possible by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, West Virginia State Legislature, and Volunteer West Virginia. The deadline for submission through the State Arts Office’s online grants portal, GOapply, is Monday, April 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. A description of each available grant is listed below. Arts in Education – Arts Exposure Projects grant provides support for schools and nonprofit organizations, as well as individual artists and artist collectives, to present professional performing, literary, and visual artists to students in grades K-12. Arts in Education – School-Based and Out-of-School-Based Projects grant provides support to schools…
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46 Students to Compete in West Virginia Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition, March 8-9
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Forty-six students from across West Virginia will recite poems by Naomi Shihab Nye, Robert Frost, Chen Chen, Emily Dickinson and many others during the 2024 Poetry Out Loud state finals competition set for Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. All participants are listed below. Friday’s competition will be emceed by Maggie Holley, the education director at West Virginia Public Broadcasting. For the final round of competition on Saturday, the master of ceremonies will be storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp, whose humorous, family-friendly tall-tales and stories have earned the appreciation of readers and listeners of all ages. Though a five-time champion of the WV Liars Contest, Lepp’s stories often contain universal truths presented in clever and witty ways. The semifinal competition begins with Division I at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 8, followed by Division II…
West Virginia Landscapes Exhibit Opening at Culture Center, March 3
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will open a new exhibition at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston on Sunday, March 3, 2024, at 2 p.m. with a reception and awards ceremony. The exhibit, titled West Virginia Landscapes, is the first installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions, featuring four different West Virginia themes. Thirteen West Virginia artists, representing nine counties, were selected for the West Virginia Landscapes show, which features 21 pieces of various mediums, including painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, craft and print. The exhibit will remain on display in the Commissioner’s Gallery at the Culture Center until mid-June 2024. The exhibit opening reception and awards ceremony is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided. This series of exhibitions will be featured over the next two years in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary, or Semiquincentennial,…
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West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History seeks nominations for the 2024 Governor’s Arts Awards
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) is seeking nominations for the Governor’s Arts Awards. This biennial awards program celebrates the importance of the arts to economic development in the Mountain State by honoring individuals and organizations whose creative achievements and significant contributions to the arts enhance life in West Virginia. A public awards ceremony will take place at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m. Nominees must be West Virginia residents or organizations based in West Virginia. Members of the selection committee; members of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts; WVDACH staff; and their immediate family members are not eligible. Posthumous nominations are not accepted. Nominations for the 11 categories must be submitted through the nomination form linked below by Feb. 12, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. The nomination form includes descriptions for each of the award categories,…
National Park Service Accepting Applications for Semiquincentennial Grant Program
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The National Park Service is accepting applications for their Semiquincentennial Grant Program. The Semiquincentennial Grant Program is intended to support buildings, structures, sites, districts, and objects that commemorate the nation’s founding. To be eligible for this funding, the structure must be listed on or eligible for listing the National Register of Historic Places. The program offers a range of awards which can be used to fund resources plans and studies, as well as physical preservation projects. Applications are due March 5, 2024. Learn more about the Semiquincentennial Grant Program by attending their upcoming webinar! Mark your calendar for January 11, 2024, at 3:00 pm. The webinar is available via Zoom at https://bit.ly/3NVQ8WG. Meeting ID: 878 9992 4586 Passcode: 100202 If you have any questions, please contact the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) by calling (304) 558-0240.
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West Virginia Juried Exhibit 2023 Winners Announced
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Artists from Fairmont, Marion County; Augusta, Hampshire County; and Richwood, Nicholas County, won the top prizes in the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History’s (WVDACH) 23rd biennial West Virginia Juried Exhibition, which opened Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. The exhibit, featuring 89 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, mixed media and crafts created by 66 West Virginia artists, is cosponsored by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. The exhibit will remain on display through Feb. 10, 2024. A list of all exhibitors can be found at https://wvculture.org/2023-west-virginia-juried-exhibition-artists-announced/. Ten pieces in the exhibit will be purchased and become part of the West Virginia State Museum’s permanent collection. Jurors Stephen Wicks and Jennifer Kaplan, both of Knoxville, Tenn., selected three artists as this year’s $5,000 Governor’s Award winners, with one receiving the D. Gene Jordon Memorial Award, which is named for…
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WV Department of Arts, Culture and History Announces 2023-24 Poetry Out Loud Registration Deadline
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 2024 West Virginia Poetry Out Loud state competition registration deadline is set for Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. All West Virginia public and private high schools and homeschool associations are encouraged to participate in this free educational program, which is sponsored annually by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Non-school organizations, such as afterschool programs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations, may also sponsor a local Poetry Out Loud competition for students in high schools where the program is not offered. Interested students or organizational sponsors may contact the state Poetry Out Loud coordinator for more information about how to register. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across…
2023 West Virginia Juried Exhibition Artists Announced
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host Exhibition Opening and Awards Ceremony at Culture Center CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 23rd biennial West Virginia Juried Exhibition will open at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston, along with an awards ceremony, on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. Sixty-six West Virginia artists were selected for the exhibit, which will feature 89 pieces, including painting, drawing, mixed media, craft, photography, digital art, sculpture and print. Thirty counties are represented in the show. The exhibit opening reception and awards ceremony is free and open to the public. The exhibit will remain at the Culture Center until Feb. 10, 2024. “The West Virginia Juried Exhibition continues its tradition of presenting the best of our state’s well-known and emerging artists,” said West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History Curator Randall Reid-Smith. “This exhibition is supported by one of the nation’s…
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West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host Governor’s Arts Caravan
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Governor’s Arts Caravan is coming to a town near you. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and the State Arts Office will host an upcoming arts caravan, featuring a series of five grant workshops around the state to discuss grant programs with artists and arts organizations. Available grants include eleven October 1 and rolling deadline grant funding opportunities. Each session will last approximately two and a half hours and consist of an overview of available grants and services provided by the WVDACH. Curator Randall Reid-Smith and arts office grant coordinators will be on-site to lead workshops and answer any questions. All workshops are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required. Locations and times are as follows: Monday, July 31, 9 a.m. -11:30 a.m.: Apollo Theater in Martinsburg (Berkeley County) Tuesday, August 1, 9 a.m. -11:30 a.m.: National Youth Science…
Bridgeport High School Student to Represent West Virginia in Poetry Out Loud National Finals
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Bridgeport High School student Morgan Sprouse will represent West Virginia in the 2023 Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C. on May 8-10. Sprouse won the state competition hosted by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts on Saturday, March 11, at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. Willow Peyton of St. Marys High School was named the state runner-up. Sprouse recited “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo, “Shall earth no more inspire thee” by Emily Bronte, and “I Am Offering this Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca. Peyton’s poems included “Whenever you see a tree” by Padma Venkatraman, “Poetry” by Lydia Huntley Sigourney, and “This Most Perfect Hill” by Lisa Jarnot. Forty-one students from high schools in 28 counties competed in the semifinals on Friday, March 10, 2023, with the top 10…