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Deadline Extended for 2021 West Virginia Juried Exhibition July 29, 2021 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) has extended the deadline for its 22nd biennial West Virginia Juried Exhibition. Submissions for the exhibit in the form of digital images on CD or USB flash drive will now be accepted until Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. The show will be on display at the Culture Center in Charleston. Since 1979, the exhibition has celebrated the exceptional talents and creativity of Mountain State artists. Artists may submit two pieces for the exhibition with a limit of three digital images per entry. Entry forms and properly identified images must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $20 per piece. Make check payable to West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. Digital images can be mailed to WVDACH, West Virginia Juried Exhibition (WVJE) 2021, The Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd., E., Charleston, W.Va. 25305-0300, or hand-delivered to the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex. An option to email images will be available this year by first contacting Cailin Howe, exhibits coordinator, to ensure your images are submitted properly. Image file sizes must be small enough to be received through email, an entry form must be included, and entry fee will still need to be mailed to the department. Eligible entries include works created in the past two years in the areas of painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, digital art, mixed media and crafts. Entrants must be over the age of 18 and must be residents of or maintain a permanent residence in West Virginia. Entrants also must complete a WVDACH Artists’ Register form at http://www.wvculture.org/museum/artsreg.html and submit six slides or digital images representative of current work for the file at the department. The images submitted for the Artists’ Register are not used in jurying entries into the exhibition. A prospectus for the exhibit is available online at http://www.wvculture.org/museum/juried/2021/juriedexperspectous2021NEW.pdf. The department will present up to $33,000 in awards for the exhibition. The awards are made available through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and the WVDACH through funds appropriated by the West Virginia Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. Awards may include three $5,000 Governor’s Awards (purchase awards), seven $2,000 Awards of Excellence (purchase awards) and eight $500 Merit Awards (non-purchase awards). Works receiving Purchase Awards become part of the West Virginia State Museum’s permanent art collection. The exhibit will open at the Culture Center with an awards ceremony and reception at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, and remain on display through Feb. 14, 2022. The exhibit showcases the work of state artists and craftspeople and provides the public with a comprehensive view of art and craft activities in the state. For more information or to inquire about submitting your entries via email, contact Howe at (304) 558-0220, ext. 128 or [email protected]. - 30 -

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Offers Free Programs and Events in June June 16, 2021 MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville resumes its public programs and events in June with activities for children, a lecture on “Juneteenth and its History in the Ohio Valley,” and a new featured Artist of the Month. Also of interest are a towering replica stegodon skeleton and a house frame that is the first step in re-constructing a prehistoric Adena house. Both are recent additions to the museum’s exhibits. These programs, activities and the exhibits are open to the public free of charge. Visitors also are welcomed by a newly remodeled gift shop stocked with many locally made items. A highlight of the month’s activities will be a lecture titled “Juneteenth and its History in the Ohio Valley” by Ronald Scott, Jr., program director, Cultural Diversity and Community Outreach at the Wheeling YWCA on Saturday, June 19, at noon. The program will discuss the freeing of African American slaves in the Ohio Valley, and how their emancipation has been celebrated through the years. Scott is one of the organizers of Juneteenth celebrations in Wheeling and invites everyone to join in remembering those who suffered because of the color of their skin, and to celebrate the rich culture, contributions, and accomplishments of African Americans in our communities. June 20th marks West Virginia Day, the day the Mountain State separated from Virginia in 1863. This event will be celebrated throughout the month at the museum’s “Discovery” table where visitors can show their Mountaineer pride by making a fan to keep cool this summer. The fan proclaims, “I’m a West Virginia Fan!” and features an outline of the state that can be colored according to the artist’s imagination. The Complex also will open for special hours on Sunday, June 20, from 1 – 5 p.m. The museum is also pleased to resume its Artist of the Month exhibits. The artist for June is Lydia Grimm. Grimm started working with metal embossing in 2019 when gifted a metal piece her father made in high school. She continues to make metal art and necklaces and has also worked with acrylic paint since 2020. She loves to add local wildlife to her paintings and adds an extra element to her backgrounds. Grimm lives in West Virginia with her husband and their young child and appears at local craft and art shows in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is currently operating on a modified schedule due to the pandemic. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound. -30-

2020 Artistree Prospectus 2020 Artistree Prospectus

44 Students to Compete in West Virginia Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition on March 13-14, 2020 PLEASE SEE THE NOTE BELOW REGARDING THE WEST VIRGINIA POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS The West Virginia Poetry Out Loud Finals event scheduled for March 13 and 14 in Charleston has been postponed until further notice. This afternoon, Governor Justice held a press conference announcing several precautionary measures related to public health and prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. As part of those measures, Governor Justice urged all state agencies to avoid holding large meetings or gatherings. Our Poetry Out Loud team shares the Governor’s concern for the wellbeing of students and their families, and it is in this spirit that we are postponing the Poetry Out Loud State Finals. We certainly do hope to reschedule and will share more details as soon as possible. March 10, 2020 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Forty-four students from across West Virginia will recite poems by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson, Billy Collins, Sara Teasdale, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ada Limón, Hanif Abdurraqib and many others during the 2020 Poetry Out Loud state finals competition set for March 13-14, 2020, at the Culture Center in Charleston. The winner will represent West Virginia at the 2020 national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C., on April 27 – 29. Storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp will serve as master of ceremonies for the state competition. Lepp is a five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest and winner of the 2018 Vandalia Award. His books and audio collections have received awards and recognition from the Parents’ Choice Foundation, the National Parenting Publications Association, and the Public Library Association. He has performed at the National Storytelling Festival and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The semifinal competition begins with Division I at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 13, with Division II beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final competition begins at 1 p.m. All sessions are free and open to the public. The Montani Quartet, a graduate string ensemble based at West Virginia University, will perform during the finals. Saturday’s program also features 2019 Poetry Out Loud champion Brett Napier, violinist Alasha Al-Qudwah and West Virginia poet laureate Marc Harshman. Harshman will serve as a judge for the competition, along with Amy Alvarez, a poet and educator at West Virginia University; author and songwriter Colleen Anderson; Kay Goodwin, former secretary of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts; Charleston-based author Rajia Hassib; Joel Peckham, a poet and professor of English at Marshall University; and performing artist and educator Mitzi Sinnott. The state champion receives $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to the national finals. The school receives $500 to purchase poetry books and materials. The runner-up receives $100, while the school receives $200 for poetry books and materials. Participating students and teachers receive original works created by West Virginia artists. The state champion and runner-up also will receive custom handmade trophies. Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry Magazine, the oldest English-language monthly publication dedicated to verse. The program is designed to encourage high school-age students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. For more information, contact Jim Wolfe, arts in education coordinator, at (304) 558-0240 or email him at [email protected]. ALPHABETICAL SCHOOL LIST WITH STUDENT COMPETITORS: Benjamin Rogers – Berkeley Springs High School Katie Pearson – Buckhannon-Upshur High School KT Terry – Cabell Midland High School Israel Wright – Capital High School Madison Barton – East Hardy High School Clare Talbott – Elkins High School Charlie Long – George Washington High School Brooke Hodges – Grafton High School Callie McFerrin – Greenbrier East High School Ariana Mooney – Greenbrier West High School Alexandra Biddle – Huntington High School Melia Beckford – Hurricane High School Brooklyn Golden – Lewis County High School Louis Rodina – Lincoln High School Brooke Ooten – Logan High School Bri Goddard – Magnolia High School Holly Johnson – Meadow Bridge High School Julie Bowen – Moorefield High School Theresa Appleyard – Morgantown High School Galilea Villasenor – Nicholas County High School Nicole Schumacher – Notre Dame High School Alissa McGaffick – Oak Glen High School Kaylin Burdette – Oak Hill High School Serenity Strother – Paden City High School Isobella Marteney – Parkersburg High School Billy Bowers – Paw Paw High School Isabella McNaboe – Philip Barbour High School Kayli Mann – PikeView High School Leo Mollohan – Ripley High School Mikayla Steele – Roane County High School Cadee Mae Green – Scott High School Makayla Schrader – Shady Spring High School Kayden Upton – South Charleston High School Rhéa Ming – Spring Mills High School Emily Hall – Spring Valley High School Camille Mooney – St. James Homeschoolers Mattelyn Lamp – St. Marys High School Shyanne Moore – Valley High School Allison Paige Blankenship – Webster County High School Olivia Dowler – Weir High School Kelly Williams – Wheeling Park High School Brooklyn Rood – Wirt County High School Ethan Lilly – Woodrow Wilson High School Kalli Stewart – Wyoming East High School -30-

Deadline Reminder for Historic Revitalization Grant Applications Jan. 16, 2020 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Applications are now available for a new grant program for rural resources in West Virginia through the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Arts, Culture and History, the West Virginia Legislature and the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Deadline for receipt of applications is postmarked Jan. 31, 2020. The goal of the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program is to assist resources in rural communities across West Virginia. Eligible projects include the restoration, rehabilitation or archaeological development of historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Privately owned properties are only eligible in instances where there is evidence of public support or public benefit. Governmental properties that are not accessible to the public are not eligible for funding. Applicant may be a state or local government agency, not-for-profit organization, private citizen, for-profit firm or organization, education institution or Certified Local Governments. Resources in the following cities will not be considered: Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown and Wheeling. A complete program description, including funding priorities and selection criteria is available from the grants staff of the Historic Preservation Office at (304) 558-0240 or on our web site at http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/GrantManual/HistoricRevive/Historicrevive.html. It is anticipated that approximately $435,000 will be available for these grant awards. Non-federal matching share is not required to be eligible for this grant but will be considered as a competitive factor. For more information on the programs of the Historic Preservation Office call (304) 558-0240. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. -30-

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host Grant Writing Workshop and Listening Tour in Charles Town January 14, 2020 CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) State Arts Office will host a grant writing workshop and listening tour in Charles Town on Thursday, Jan. 30. The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. at Charles Washington Hall, 100 W. Washington St. Charles Town, WV. It is free and open to the public. The grant writing workshop will take place from 9 – 10:30 a.m., and the listening tour will take place from 10:30 a.m. – noon. The workshop will discuss basic skills for writing grants in the arts, such as how to write a more clear and consistent narrative, how to effectively state one’s goals and various strengths and weaknesses commonly found in applications. A listening tour will immediately follow the grant writing workshop. Listening tours are informal meetings where citizens of West Virginia are allowed the opportunity to address staff from the State Arts Office to make recommendations related to the improvements of the arts in their communities and throughout West Virginia. For more information about the West Virginia Commission on the Arts or the WVDACH, visit www.wvculture.org. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. -30-

Poetry Out Loud Registration Set for Dec. 5 Nov. 20, 2019 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 2020 West Virginia Poetry Out Loud (POL) state competition registration deadline is set for Monday, Dec. 5, 2019. All West Virginia public and private high schools and homeschool associations are encouraged to participate in the event, which is sponsored annually by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The statewide competition will be held at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on March 13-14, 2020. Poetry Out Loud is a national contest and free program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The competition begins on a school-wide level, with the winners at each school advancing to the statewide competition. The POL curriculum is designed to meet state and national standards in language arts and reading. Program materials include an online poetry anthology, teacher’s guide, lesson plans, posters and audio-visual materials on the art of recitation. These materials can be downloaded at www.poetryoutloud.org, or the materials are available from the department. In the 2018-2019 school year, 51 West Virginia high schools held Poetry Out Loud competitions. One hundred thirteen teachers worked with 4,167 students at the local level. Forty-five finalists from the school competitions competed at the state event. Brett Napier of Greenbrier East High School was selected the 2019 state champion. Napier competed in the national finals in Washington, D.C. To learn more about Poetry Out Loud, receive the program materials and register for the state competition, visit http://www.wvculture.org/arts/pol or contact Jim Wolfe, program coordinator, at [email protected] or 304-558-0240. -30-

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host Exhibit Opening for “HIGH DRAMA: Costumes from the Contemporary American Theater Festival,” Sept. 30 Sept. 25, 2019 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will host an opening and reception for a new exhibit, “HIGH DRAMA: Costumes from the Contemporary American Theater Festival,” at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on Monday, Sept. 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. The WVDACH worked with the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) to bring this spectacular exhibit to Charleston. It will be on display in the Culture Center Balcony Gallery through Nov. 4, 2019. “HIGH DRAMA” showcases the artists of CATF and includes costumes, shoes, fabric swatches, drawings, props and small-scale models of scenery from past CATF productions, such as “In the Garden of Allah,” “The Second Girl,” “Everything You Touch,” “A Welcome Guest” and “My Lord, What a Night.” The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University, is a professional theater dedicated to producing and developing new American plays. One of the top three premier play Festivals in the country, CATF is committed to telling stories that are immediate, fervent and often provocative and challenging. The scenery, costumes and visual dialogue of these plays convey these narratives with passion, creativity and boldness. Peggy McKowen, CATF associate producing director, also will host an artist talk prior to the opening at the Culture Center from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. The session is free and open to the public and all are invited to join. For more information about the exhibit and opening, contact Charles Morris, WVDACH director of museums, at (304) 558-0220 or [email protected]. WHO: West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and Contemporary American Theater Festival WHAT: “HIGH DRAMA: Costumes from the Contemporary American Theater Festival” exhibit opening and reception WHEN: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 30, 2019 WHERE: Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, Charleston -30-

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Announces July Activities July 11, 2019 MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Families looking for things to do on hot July days should visit the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex this month. Guests can enjoy planned programs throughout the month, and the museum’s exhibits and Discovery Table craft activity are available during regular museum hours. All programs and events are free and open to the public. Schedule of July Programs: Saturday, July 13, 1 and 3 p.m. - Second Saturday film, “Making North America: Human.” Part of the PBS NOVA documentary series, this 60-minute film will explore how human lives and destinies were shaped by the North American continent. Narrated by renowned paleontologist and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Director Kirk Johnson, it explores how the first humans entered North America and what surprises may be in store for its future human inhabitants due to the geology of the continent. Saturday, July 20, 2 p.m. - “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the First Moon Landing.” This program is featured in honor of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s famous first step on the moon, declaring “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” July 20 marks the anniversary, which was part of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission. The program will feature a series of short films of Apollo and Skylab missions from the personal collection of Rudolf Keller, a young scientist employed in the space industry in California at the time. Saturday, July 27, 1 p.m. – storyteller Judi Tarowsky will regale visitors with tales that feature female protagonists in a program titled “Damsels to the Rescue!” She will tell two old fairy tales, “The Nettle Spinner" from Belgium, and “The Groac’h of the Isle of Lok” from Breton. Throughout the month of July, visitors also can view the exhibit Historic Images of Grave Creek Mound in the museum’s entry lobby. Guests can also stop by the Discovery Table to create fireflies that glow in the dark using plastic beads and pipe cleaners. Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound.

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Announces May Events May 10, 2019 MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville has planned a full schedule of programs throughout the month of May for visitors of all ages, including an exhibit by the Ohio Valley Photography Club, second Saturday film, lecture, planting of the Interpretive Garden and a craft at the museum’s Discovery Table. All programs are free and open to the public. Schedule of May Programs Saturday, May 11, 1 and 3 p.m. – Second Saturday Film Series, “Lewis and Clark: A Scientific Journey” (52 min), followed by “Lewis and Clark: The Eastern Legacy” (20 min), will be shown to celebrate the recent federal recognition of the addition of 1,200 miles to the eastern portion of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The films will be shown back to back during the two designated times. Saturday, May 18 and Saturday, June 1, noon – 4 p.m. – Help Plant the Museum’s Interpretive Garden, visitors are invited to help plant the museum’s Interpretive Garden and learn about crops grown and used in this region by Native Americans. Heirloom seeds will be planted using a replica of a prehistoric stone garden hoe. Other activities include grinding corn, an “Earthworm Habitat,” packing and labeling seeds to take home and grow, and a special display of books and items relating to Native American gardens by Marian Meg Phillips. All indoor activities will take place rain or shine. Thursday, May 30, 7 p.m. – Lecture Series, Wayne Worth, creator and producer of the Facebook series "On the Road in West Virginia: Our 55 Counties," will present “On the Road in West Virginia.” Worth shares how he was adopted into a loving West Virginia family, with a supportive community and the blessings and opportunities that came with them. This experience inspired him to create his video series that took him to every county in West Virginia. He has over 40,000 followers on Facebook and his films are used in about a dozen 8th grade West Virginia history classrooms. Featured Artist of the Month - visitors can view an exhibit by the Ohio Valley Photography Club throughout the month of May. Discovery Table – Guests can plant sunflower seeds from the museum’s Interpretive Garden in yogurt cups to take home and grow. This activity is available during regular museum hours. Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound. -30-

“Fighting for Freedom: The Story of the United States Colored Troops” to be Presented at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling on Feb. 23 Feb. 13, 2019 WHEELING, W.Va. – Anthony Gibbs will present “Freedom, Citizenship, and Equality: The Story of the United States Colored Troops” at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. The program will begin at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Almost 200,000 black soldiers fought for the Union during the Civil War. Their story is a unique chapter in the American conflict. These men were freedom fighters who fought for emancipation and for full citizenship rights. Gibbs discusses events significant to these men that led up to the Civil War, and what made these men different from the other thousands who fought and died in the War Between the States. Gibbs has traveled throughout the state of Ohio as a teaching artist and living history performer. He has portrayed living history characters such as John Parker, an Underground Railroad conductor from Ripley, Ohio; Milton Holland, a soldier and Medal of Honor recipient of the 5th U.S.C.T.; and other key figures in African American history. For more than 12 years, he has presented historical workshops and performances on the United States Colored Troops and their participation in the Civil War. Gibbs is a graduate of Ohio State University. He is currently employed by the Ohio History Connection as the manager of Local History Services. He also is founder and creative director of Black Historic Impressions, an organization dedicated to the remembrance, appreciation and exhibition of African American contributions throughout history. West Virginia Independence Hall has been on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1970. It was originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, the museum is maintained and operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with the exception of major holidays. The museum is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling. For more information about this event or WVIH, contact Debbie Jones, site manager, at (304) 238-1300 or [email protected]. Photo of Gibbs -30-

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Hosts Fossil Day Sept. 10, 2018 MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. – Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will host Fossil Day from noon to 4 pm on Saturday, Sept. 15. All activities are free and open to the public. Visitors are invited to bring fossils for expert identification by Dr. Ronald Mc Dowell, senior research geologist and head of the Geoscience Section of the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) in Morgantown. McDowell specializes in invertebrate paleontology, the study of large and small fossil animals that do not have an internal skeleton, and holds a Ph.D. in geology from the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. Hands-on activities during Fossil Day include making “fossil” impressions in clay and excavating a “fossil bed” that was created during the March Fossil Day. Small fossils can be found in a sand “matrix,” and supplies will be on hand to make a piece of fossil jewelry. The film “Rocks and Rivers: West Virginia’s Geologic Heritage” will play in the museum’s auditorium throughout the afternoon, courtesy of the WVGES. A museum hunt will take place in the exhibit Prehistoric West Virginia, which is on loan courtesy of its curators and owners, E. Ray and Mary Ellen Garton of Prehistoric Planet. Prizes will be available. Fossil Day attendees may also consider a visit to the Elizabethtown Festival, which will be held across the street at the Old West Virginia Penitentiary, and the fall festival held just down the street on Jefferson Avenue. Both events will run from 10 am to 6 pm. Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound. -30-

Charlie Cooper and Billy Joe Peyton to Present “Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha” in the Archives and History Library on Aug. 16 Aug. 13, 2018 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charlie Cooper and Billy Joe Peyton will present “Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha” in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. The program will begin at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The 1932 film Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha was found when the Kearse Theater was torn down in 1982. Discovered in the projection booth of the palatial first-run house, this rare community movie was made at the dawn of the sound era in motion pictures. Cooper, who has recorded sound for many movies, will discuss the film’s director Blundon Wills, a native Charlestonian, and the technology used to make the film through the showing of selected scenes. A local radio producer and disc jockey known as Super-Duper Charlie Cooper, he was named to the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2007. Peyton, a history professor at West Virginia State University who has used Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha in his classes, will add his reflections on Charleston locations highlighted in the historic film. He also is an author and authority on Charleston. Participants may park behind the Culture Center after 5 p.m. on Aug. 16 and enter the building at the back loading dock area. There also is limited handicapped parking available in the new bus turnaround. For additional information, contact the Archives and History Library at (304) 558-0230. -30-

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex to Plant Interpretive Garden on Saturday, May 19 and Saturday, June 2 May 18, 2018 MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will be planting its Interpretive Garden this year from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, and Saturday, June 2. The program is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to plant crops chosen for the garden based on archaeological data and Native American traditions, such as sunflowers, corn, beans, squash and gourds. Each variety has its own unique story. A traditional gardening method of some Native American groups, visitors can plant seeds in small hills of earth using a replica of a prehistoric stone garden hoe. In the museum’s Activity Room, an educational display of seeds, books and other items will be provided courtesy of Marian Meg Phillips, along with activities relating to the Interpretive Garden. Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound. -30-

Historic Railroad River Crossings are Topic of Monthly Program at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex on Thursday, April 26 MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Daniel L. Frizzi, a member of the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society’s Speaker’s Bureau, will present “Baltimore and Ohio River Crossings: A Tale of Three Bridges” at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville on Thursday, April 26 at 7 p.m. The lecture is part of the Complex’s monthly lecture and film series and is free and open to the public. Frizzi presents a historic look at how travel and commerce moved across the Ohio River using ferries, steamships, railroading and bridges. His program will cover three railroad bridges that connected West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle with Ohio and places out west. These historic river crossings connected Bellaire, Ohio, with Benwood, W.Va., Martins Ferry, Ohio, with Wheeling, W.Va. and Steubenville, Ohio with Weirton, W.Va. Frizzi practices law in Bellaire and serves as a trustee of the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society. Printed copies of his presentation and other items will be offered for sale to help support the society and its projects. For more information about the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society, visit http://www.greatstoneviaduct.org/. For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound. Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility. Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m. -30-

Wayne Middle School Team One Wins Region 2 History Bowl Tournament Feb. 14, 2018 BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. – Wayne Middle School Team One, with students Allie Eastham, Levi Gilkerson, Marcus Maynard and Baylee Parsons, won the West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s Region 2 tournament for the 2018 West Virginia History Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 10, at Barboursville Middle School in Barboursville, Cabell County. Wayne Middle School Team Two, with students Caelen Adkins, Maya Moser, Grace Thompson and Bryce Wolfe-Browning, was the runner-up. Region 2 is made up of students from Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo and Wayne counties. Competitors included teams from Barboursville Middle School (two teams), Barboursville, Cabell County; Duval Middle School (two teams), Griffithsville, Lincoln County; Logan Middle School (two teams), Logan, Logan County; Our Lady of Fatima School (one team), Huntington, Cabell County; Wayne Middle School (two teams), Wayne, Wayne County; and Williamson PK-8 (two teams), Williamson, Mingo County. The West Virginia History Bowl features questions compiled by the staff of Archives and History about the state’s architecture, arts, culture, geography, government, history, people, literature and sports. The Archives and History staff has developed more than 2,000 questions for its online Quick Quizzes. Teams that are preparing for the History Bowl tournaments may use the Archives and History Daily Trivia and Quick Quizzes as helpful tools from the division’s website, www.wvculture.org/history. Eighth graders in public, private and homeschool education programs are eligible to compete on the four-person teams in double-elimination tournament play. The regional winners and runner-up teams from each RESA district will then advance to the state tournament, which will take place April 24 at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. For more information about the annual competition, contact Matt McGrew, History Bowl coordinator, at (304) 558-0230 or [email protected]. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. - 30 -

INCOME PRODUCING/COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT CHANGE "On October 17, 2017 the West Virginia Legislature voted to increase the Income Producing/commercial rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25%. The State Historic Preservation Office is currently working to update information and instructions on the program. Please contact Jennifer Brennan - (304)558-0240, ext. 138, Tax Credit Coordinator, regarding the changes to the program."

West Virginia State Museum Announces New Saturday Family Programs Oct. 10, 2017 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) invites families to visit the West Virginia State Museum at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston for special activities each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the history of our state and participate in some classic games. Each Saturday of the month will have a special theme. All programs will take place in the museum education room and are free and open to the public. First Saturday of the Month: Marbles Dust off your marbles or just use ours. Come in and learn to play, practice or challenge someone to a game. While you are here, don’t forget to sign up for the annual A. James Manchin Memorial Mable Tournament coming up in April. Second Saturday: Classic Board Games Bring the whole family, sit down and have fun introducing younger family members to some of the best board games in history, including Life, Sorry, Clue, Risk, Candyland and many more. Third Saturday: Classic Video Games Take a step back in time to play the games that started it all. Pac Man, Qubert and Pong among others. Challenge your kids to beat your top score – if they can. Fourth Saturday: Trivia Day Bring your family in to play fun family-friendly trivia. We will ask questions that test your knowledge of everything from sports, movies, famous people and television. Prizes for winning teams and new questions each month. Fifth Saturday: Card Games We bring out decks of cards for everyone to play family-friendly games. Learn to play Spades, Hearts and Rummy or tackle Uno, War and Go Fish! For more information about the Saturday programs at the West Virginia State Museum, contact Chris Reed, museum education specialist for the division, at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 or [email protected]. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is proud to be able to present its programs at no charge to the public but without a solution to the state’s budget situation, this could be the last year that programs of this type could be offered. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. It brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. -30-

CERF+ relief assistance June 29, 2016 CERF+ would like to make sure that any professional artist working in a craft discipline seriously affected by the flooding is aware of the emergency relief assistance available from CERF+. If, as an artist, you have suffered loss, please contact us when able. If, as an arts organization representative, you know of artists in the disaster areas, or plan to correspond with your artist constituents in the near future, please pass this information on. If there are organizations that directly work with artists in your community that you think we should know about, please send us their contact information. Direct Assistance to Artists Working in Craft Disciplines CERF+’s programs include: ? Grants up to $6,000; ? No-interest loans up to $9,000; ? Booth fee waivers at craft shows; ? Discounts on materials and equipment from suppliers and manufacturers; ? Assistance with business development through referrals to consultants and other low or no-cost resources For eligibility requirements and more detailed information, please visit the Emergency Relief section of our website or contact us at: CERF+ PO Box 838 Montpelier, VT 05601 ph: (802) 229-2306 fx: (802) 223-6484 [email protected] www.craftemergency.org CERF+ on Facebook Disaster Recovery Resources for Artists Studio Protector: Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Information for Artists The CERF+ Studio Protector website has extensive information and resources designed to help artists and those helping them in the disaster recovery effort, as well as disaster planning resources. ? Getting help from FEMA and other major relief providers ? Disaster aid provided by arts related organizations ? Managing disaster recovery volunteers and volunteering ? Tips for disaster clean-up ? Salvage and e-salvage tips ? Rebounding after a disaster ? Video interviews with artists who have been through disasters New York Foundation for the Arts' national artists' emergency resource list in NYFA Source Stay in Touch with CERF+ We rely on people like you to let us know when an artist has been affected by a disaster. Help us help artists in need by staying in touch with CERF+. Join our mailing list to receive these notices and other CERF+ information aimed at safeguarding and sustaining the careers of craft artists and providing emergency resources that benefit all artists. Thank you for helping spread the word about CERF+! Share on Facebook. Please contact me if you have questions, Les Les Snow Program Manager [email protected]

West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Offer Grant Aid to Arts, History Organizations Affected by Flooding June 29, 2016 CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Division of Culture and History can offer matching grants between $2,000 and $10,000 to West Virginia nonprofit arts and history organizations whose buildings or collections were impacted by recent flooding. The Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources Fast Track ADA Emergency Grants provide emergency funds to address damage and the threat of damage or unsafe conditions involving a building or collection. This includes damage to an art or history museum’s infrastructure or sudden failure of equipment that may result in harm to the collections and public safety. Smaller renovation and construction projects needed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act also are eligible. This program has a rolling deadline, and funds for approved projects are generally available within 6 weeks. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these storms," said Arts Director Renée Margocee, “and we encourage anyone needing assistance to talk to us about how we might be able to help them through these challenging times.” Funding for the grant program is provided by the West Virginia Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, contact Debbie Haught, program coordinator, at (304) 558-0240 ext. 714 or [email protected] or visit www.wvculture.org/Arts. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. -30-

Three West Virginia Marching Band Directors to be Inducted into West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame Oct. 17, 2014 CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) will induct the first three members into the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 25. The induction will take place during the awards ceremony at the 3rd Annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field which begins at 10 p.m. Honorees include Julia Kade of Princeton, Mercer County; Sherry L. Poole of Ripley, Jackson County; and Rhonda E. Smalley of Huntington, Cabell County. The inductees were selected from a list of nominations submitted to the WVDCH. Kade has been teaching music for more than 35 years, first in Greenbrier County at Crichton Elementary-Junior High School and Rainelle Elementary and Junior High schools, before moving to Princeton in Mercer County and working with students at Oakvale High School, Silver Springs Elementary, Melrose Elementary and Princeton Junior High School. She currently is teaching at Princeton High School. Her bands have received Grand Champion accolades as well as countless top three ratings in the marching band venue. Poole has been serving the Jackson County education system for 39 years at Ripley Middle School and since 1990 as band director at Ripley High School. She also teaches color guard, piano, guitar and dance. During her tenure as director, the school has been chosen as Honor Band at the Black Walnut Festival three of the last six years and was chosen to perform for the presidential visit in Charleston. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu International Band Director Honorary in 2014 and will be a guest conductor for the 2014 West Virginia University Honor Band Program. Smalley has spent her 40-year teaching career serving more than 4,000 students in Cabell County. Her bands at Cabell Midland High School won 65 Grand Championships on the state and national level. They won top honors in field shows and parades at the Peach Bowl, the Gator Bowl, the Outback Bowl, the Orange Bowl, Universal Studios and the Toronto International Music Festival. Her concert bands earned superior ratings at the West Virginia Regional Band Festival for 40 straight years. Her award-winning Jazz Band program won many awards on the state and national level. In 2003, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, and in 2007 she was selected for membership in Phi Beta Mu, the international bandmasters’ honorary fraternity. She received a West Virginia Distinguished Mountaineer Award from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in 2011 and Congressman Nick Joe Rahall presented her with the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition on behalf of the U.S. Congress. Currently, Smalley is a member of the Cabell County Board of Education, and is serving as a clinical supervisor at Marshall University where she supervises instrumental music student teachers. “I am so pleased to induct Julia Kade, Sherry Poole and Rhonda Smalley into the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame. Together they have spent more than 110 years inspiring young students with a love of music and teaching spectacular performance skills that the audience can celebrate and enjoy,” said Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the WVDCH. There are two categories for the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame. The first is for current band directors in the West Virginia school system with at least five years of experience. The other category is for retired band directors. The majority of their teaching years in either category must have been at the elementary, middle school, junior and high school levels, rather than the college or university level. Nominations should include strengths and accomplishments of the nominees. An updated performance schedule for the West Virginia Marching Band Invitational is attached. For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the division, at (304) 558-0220. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. - 30 -

West Virginia State Museum Earns 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Honored as a Top Performing Museum as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel Site July 8, 2013 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State Museum has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award. “TripAdvisor is delighted to celebrate the success of businesses around the globe, which are consistently offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience,” said Alison Copus, vice president of marketing for TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award provides top-performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most – their customers.” “The State Museum is pleased to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. “It is an honor to receive this accolade, and the fact that we are considered among the top 10 percent of museums in the world recognizes the hard work and dedication to customer service of our fine staff.” With more than 6,000 artifacts on display and themes that focus on the state’s lands, people and culture, the West Virginia State Museum offers a dynamic look at our state’s history – from prehistoric times to today. The museum offers an innovative education program for students in preschool through 12th grade that features state-of-the art technology and extensive lesson plans for teachers. The museum, founded in 1894, is recognized as one of the premier institutions in the United States and includes a collection of more than 60,000 pieces. TripAdvisor is one of the world’s largest travel sites, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 200 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 100 million reviews and opinions. To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the past 12 months. For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, at (304) 558-0220 or at [email protected] The West Virginia State Museum, located in the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. - 30 -

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum June 25, 2013 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is announcing new public hours of operation for Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville, Museum in the Park in Logan, West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling, and the West Virginia State Museum and Culture Center in Charleston. Effective July 1, Grave Creek Mound, Museum in the Park, West Virginia Independence Hall and the West Virginia State Museum will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. They will be closed on Sunday and Monday. The Culture Center will continue to be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday to serve Archives Library patrons, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It will be closed on Sunday. For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the Division, at (304) 558-0220. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. - 30 -

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Introduces New State Museum App March 22, 2013 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State Museum is going social and introducing a new app that gives smartphone and tablet users the ability to get the latest information on programs and services at the state museum just the way they like it: easy, fast and current. The app is a free download available in the Apple and Google App stores. The home page provides the options available. Discovery Room features videos of the 26 discovery rooms in the museum and a touring map of the museum. Fact Finder has West Virginia history quizzes for beginners and pros alike. News and Social posts notices on programs and upcoming activities and Get Me There will direct users to the museum and a selection of historic communities across the state. ScanMe is a special option for museum visitors that provides extended information on selected artifacts using quick response codes. Contact Usprovides users with several ways to communicate with the museum: mail, email, Facebook and Twitter. To download the new app, go to the App Store and search for WVSM or West Virginia Museum. For more information, contact Rachel Moses, cultural program specialist, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 127. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. - 30 -

Blair Mountain information The Blair Mountain Battlefield National Register nomination was approved by the WV Archives and History Commission on February 22, 2008, and subsequently forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register. According to 36 CFR 60.6, private property owners have the right to object to listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is the responsibility of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to count all notarized objections from owners of property within the boundaries of the Blair Mountain Battlefield. Prior to listing, the SHPO noted that there were 57 property owners within the boundaries, 22 of whom objected. If a majority of property owners object, the property cannot be listed in the NRHP. However, the property can be “determined eligible” for listing. Properties that are either listed in or determined eligible for listing in the NRHP are considered historic and adverse effects of state and federal undertakings must be taken into consideration. The NPS received a letter dated February 27, 2009, from JacksonKelly Attorneys at Law, PLLC requesting an extension of time for substantive review. This letter included nine attachments. The SHPO received the contents of this letter on March 13. The letter stated that there was one additional objection. SHPO staff understood this to mean that only one new objection had been received since its last packet of objections received March 2008. The Blair Mountain Battlefield was listed in the NRHP on March 30, 2009. Following listing, the SHPO realized that eight additional objections, received in the attachments to the above mentioned letter, had not been considered. In a letter dated April 6, 2009, the SHPO alerted the Keeper of the NRHP that there may have been an error in calculating the property owner objections due to this oversight. The State has not petitioned the Keeper for removal of the Blair Mountain Battlefield from the National Register in accordance with 36 CFR 60.15. This was a clerical error of the SHPO. Due to this error, immediate steps have been taken to ensure this does not occur again. Neither Governor Manchin’s office, nor his administration, is responsible for listing or delisting National Register nominations. That is the responsibility of the Keeper of the National Register, a program of the National Park Service.

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The Records Management and Preservation Board awarded $349,360 in grants to 37 West Virginia counties

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West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Offer Grant Aid to Arts, History Organizations Affected by Flooding

Arts Alive http://wvde.state.wv.us/arts-alive/ Arts Alive Mission Statement Arts Alive is West Virginia Department of Education's annual event to showcase outstanding arts education programs and student achievements in public schools. The work included in Arts Alive is selected from state arts conferences and festivals throughout West Virginia, a competitive submission process, and/or by invitation. In its eighth year, Arts Alive 2014 has expanded collaborations and interdisciplinary partnerships to include work from the following areas: Dance, Music, Pre-Kindergarten, Science in the Arts, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Students perform and exhibit work before an audience of students, family members, educators, policy makers, leaders, advocates, and philanthropists. Arts Alive aims to support developing and established arts programs in public schools throughout West Virginia; inspire local education systems to embrace the arts as an essential part of every child's education; and empower the broader learning community to advocate for comprehensive arts education in public schools. Arts Alive is dedicated to arts education in West Virginia and remains committed to providing a venue where the arts are paramount and the work of young artists is celebrated. Renée Margocee Director of Arts West Virginia Division of Culture and History 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East Charleston, West Virginia 25305 (304) 558-0240

NEW grant appications and guidlines information The National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Research & Analysis announces that grant application guidelines are available for Research: Art Works. This program supports research that investigates the value of the U.S. arts ecosystem and the impact of the arts, either as individual components within the U.S. arts ecology or as they interact with each other and/or with other domains of American life. The NEA encourages applications from diverse research fields (e.g., sociology, economics, anthropology, psychology, medicine and health, education, communications, and urban and regional planning) in addition to projects that address a diverse array of topics concerning the value and/or impact of the arts. Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. This may include, but is not limited to, colleges and universities. The NEA anticipates awarding up to 25 grants in the range of $10,000 to $30,000. The deadline for application submission is Nov. 5, 2013 and projects can begin as early as May 1, 2014. This year, there have been several major changes to the Research: Art Works grant program: • Priority is given to applications that present theory-driven research questions and methodologies that will yield important information about the value and/or impact of the arts. • The 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and the 2012 General Social Survey's Arts Supplement are cited as secondary data sources of special interest to the NEA. • Primary data collection is now an eligible activity type. Those projects may be of three years in duration. Other projects now may be of two years in duration. • New sections of the guidelines address the responsible conduct of research, and data management and sharing. There is a corresponding review criterion about applicants’ data management plans. • Grants require a match and indirect costs are allowed. The NEA will hold an informational webinar for potential applicants on Sept. 18, 2013. More information is forthcoming. For grant application information and guidelines, please go to http://arts.gov/grants/apply/Research.html To see project descriptions of the grants awarded in previous years of Research: Art Works, click here. To see samples of previous successful applications, please click here, and choose "Sample Application Narratives – Research". If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected].

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

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A Curtain Rises, Gently, on Autism-Friendly Shows on Broadway

For Theater Patrons, the Whispers can be deafening Copyright 2012, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved "Why are those people annoyed with me?" the older gentleman asked his wife in a loud stage whisper. She wasn't sure, but I was sitting in front of them at the Lansburgh Theatre, and I confess I was one of several people shooting that poor couple dirty looks. They were fiddling with earphones issued by the Shakespeare Theatre Company for "Krapp's Last Tape," performed by British star John Hurt. The theater was full, the show a very quiet solo piece by Samuel Beckett. It lasted a scant hour, and the couple spent nearly all that time trying to get the earphones to function. Several times the earphones actually squeaked at such a high pitch that other earphones around the theater squeaked in sympathy. It was such a tooth-achingly piercing sound that I fully expected stray dogs to wander in. That couple had to have been longtime theater lovers. They weren't the kind of philistines who think it's okay to check e-mails, texts and tweets during a show. Nor were they paper rustlers. And here I must briefly digress: Rustling noises, as when you unwrap hard candies during a show travel forward, driving the people sitting in front of you nuts. The same goes for people who like to roll their playbills into a tube, and then twist them around and tap them on their knees. On the other hand, the glowing light from smartphones drives the people next to and behind you nuts. Those devices pull audience members out of the play against their will. But back to the earphones. What occurred that night at the Lansburgh was an extreme example of a common situation. I've been to matinees at one suburban theater where it was well into the first act before patrons using earphones got them to work. Ten to 20 minutes of loudly whispered, "Can you hear yours? Mine isn't working!" So I have a modest proposal for theater managers: During that pre-show announcement, after you've exhorted people to turn off their cellphones and unwrap their candies, why not take another minute and say, "Now we're going to test the earphones for patrons using them tonight. Please turn them on now, and we will play a recording so that you can set your volume. Raise your hand if your earphones don't seem to work, and an usher will assist you and replace them if necessary. Remember to remove hearing aids and turn them off, so they don't interfere with the earphones. Thank you. The test will start now." Newer technologies may soon make all this fuss unnecessary, but until then ... Can you hear me now? Horwitz is a freelance writer.

BAF Receives Benedum Arts-in-Education Grant The Beckley Area Foundation has received a $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. These funds are to be used for a specific arts-in-education initiative. BAF will provide a special grant opportunity for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) projects: teaching and learning that integrates the arts into one or more of the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math). The Foundation has enlisted the assistance of the Arts Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History in administering this exciting opportunity. STEAM education is a cutting edge approach to teaching and learning that fosters innovation, creative problem solving, flexible thinking, and risk taking – necessary skills of leaders in our rapidly changing global economy. On Wednesday, May 9th, 2:00 p.m., in the Conference Center at Tamarack, there will be an informational meeting for teachers, school and organization representatives, and other interested parties who would like to know about the application process. BAF plans to award at least ten $5,000 grants, or more if there are approved requests for less than $5,000. “We are trying to reach area arts organizations, artists and teachers regarding this exciting opportunity,” commented Susan Landis, executive director of BAF, as well as chair of the WV Commission on the Arts. “We know that there are many creative people who can implement wonderful projects with these grants.” Educators in the fields of math, science, technology and engineering as well as those involved in performance and visual arts are encouraged to attend the May 9th meeting. Collaborative applications will be welcomed. Creativity and innovation are expected. Applicants for these grants must be schools or organizations holding a 501-c-3 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Applications will be accepted from the BAF service area including Raleigh, Webster, Wyoming, McDowell and southern Fayette Counties. BAF is branding this initiative as Full STEAM Ahead. Through this special opportunity, schools and organizations can create projects that intersect “A” (the arts) with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) thus helping West Virginia be a leader in a new economy. Contact the Beckley Area Foundation if you have questions about the informational meeting, 304-253-3806 or [email protected].

Take a Seat Getting tickets for the big game or concert shouldn't be a hassle for wheelchair users. New rules are helping to ease the pain. So, there is a fabulous new stadium in town and the team looks good this year-—you’d best move fast to get good seats. Every year, a new sports season offers new opportunities for fun and (if things go right) a winning team. Are you going to be able to enjoy it? Most new ballparks, arenas, and stadiums are being built according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and offer accessible seating throughout the facility. A few design and architecture firms specialize in large sport facilities and have learned along the way what works, mostly by including people with disabilities in the planning process. But even the most accessible facility doesn’t mean you’ll be able to enjoy the game or show. Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) members and other wheelchair users have struggled for years to be able to buy accessible seats in theaters, stadiums, arenas, etc. They generally must call a different number and wait for a return call or e-mail, and only rarely is it possible to buy a ticket for an accessible seat online. (Ticketmaster for years didn’t sell accessible seats and changed its policy only when the Department of Justice [DOJ] investigated and settled with them.) When it comes to season tickets, playoff games, or concerts that sell out fast, the problem becomes even more complex. Twenty years after ADA, when DOJ issued its revised final regulations in September 2010, one of the most critical revisions was in the area of ticket sales. DOJ stated its existing regulations required that all ticketing options available to the general public likewise are available to people with disabilities. While this may have been the requirement, many facilities were making up their own rules. For instance, the University of Oklahoma (Norman) wouldn’t allow a season ticket holder who needed wheelchair-accessible seating to purchase a particular seat. He was required to purchase a regular-season ticket to be exchanged on game day for an accessible location. On the member’s behalf, PVA filed a formal complaint with the Department of Education, starting a lengthy investigation that continues more than six years later (OU recently reported to PVA it is working to resolve this problem). DOJ’s regulations apply to Title II and Title III entities such as state, local, and private facilities. These range from neighborhood theaters to 100,000-seat football stadiums; from single-event tickets to season tickets; and from dignified operas to screaming mosh pits. Ticket sales must now be available to patrons with disabilities during the same hours, at the same prices, under the same terms, and by the same methods the general public can buy. If a third party such as Ticketmaster is involved, it must follow the same rules as the venue itself. Even discount or half-price ticket sellers must sell tickets for accessible seats (if any exist at the time of sale). Click the More Info button below to read the full story...

CALL FOR ENTRIES - Pricketts Fort: Through Artists' Eyes 2012 Prospectus PURPOSE Pricketts Fort: Through Artists' Eyes invites entries for a juried art exhibit. This show and sale will benefit the foundation's education, programming and preservation efforts. Any artwork that reflects the period, culture, history, people, or landscape of Pricketts Fort and the West Virginia frontier is welcome. Works need not be representational, but should speak to the past, present or future of this place. ELIGIBILITY Open to artists of all ages and any two-dimensional media. Artwork must be original and professionally framed and ready for hanging. All works must be for sale and available for display throughout the entire exhibit period. Participating artists will receive 60% of the proceeds of any work sold; the remaining 40% will benefit the work of the Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation. AWARDS A cash prize of $200 will be awarded for First Place, $100 for Second Place and $50 for Third Place. JUROR Stephen Cassle is an active artist, craftsman, and living historian. He is employed by the Tamarack Foundation as Professional Development Coordinator. For complete prospectus and entry form see: http://www.prickettsfort.org/Pricketts%20Fort%20Art%20Prospectus%202012.pdf Prickett's Fort State Park is located 2 miles off I-79 at exit 139 in Fairmont, West Virginia. Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation www.prickettsfort.org (304) 363-3030

All-In: Re-imagining Community Participation Check out APAP's - All-in: Reimagining Community Participation which awards one-year grants of up to $25,000 to presenting organizations in support of promising new approaches to community engagement through the performing arts.

Protecting Collections: Disaster Prevention, Planning & Response March 27 & May 15, 2012 Huntington, WV Hosted and co-sponsored by the Huntington Museum of Art Visit: www.ccaha.org/education/program-calendar for more information. Can call 215-545-0613 or email [email protected]

National K-12 Computer Safety Contest The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) is conducting its annual, national K-12 Computer Safety Contest to encourage young people to use the Internet safely and securely. The Office of Information Security and Controls, from the West Virginia Office of Technology, is coordinating the State’s first year of participation in this event. The contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. More information and entry forms may be found at: http://www.technology.wv.gov/security/Pages/Contest.aspx.

The 2012 VSA International Young Soloists Call for Entries is now open! Since 1984, the VSA International Young Soloists Program has been seeking identify talented young musicians who have a disability. The annual award provides an opportunity for up to four emerging musicians to each earn a $5,000 award, professional development opportunities, and a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information on the program and to apply, please visit www.kennedy-center.org/IYS.

$2,000 to $20,000 grants available to help arts organizations, history museums improve, update facilities

The Kennedy Center seeks nominations for The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards Series of Annual $10,000 Awards Named for Broadway Legend (WASHINGTON, D.C.)—The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seeking nominations for the 2012 Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards – a series of annual grants that recognize inspiring teachers across the United States. The awards were created last year, in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday and were initiated and funded through the generous support of Mr. Sondheim’s friends and education philanthropists Myrna and Freddie Gershon. Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim frequently attributes his success to the teachers from all subjects in his life. The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards are presented each year on Sondheim’s birthday – March 22 – to a handful of teachers, kindergarten through college, who are nominated via the Kennedy Center website (kennedy-center.org/sondheimteacherawards). Last year, 11 teachers were recognized from around the nation for their outstanding influence on students. The recipients each received a $10,000 prize and their stories, as told by the nominating student, were featured on a web site dedicated to inspirational teachers. In many people’s lives there is at least one teacher who inspired them, and helped them become who they are today. These inspirational people are not often recognized for the life changing role they have played. The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards seek to spotlight those teachers and to recognize them publicly for their significant role in society. The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher homepage features leaders and celebrities, including Warren Buffett, Dr. Jill Biden, J. J. Abrams, Bill Bradley and many others describing their favorite teachers and the impact good teachers make on communities and schools. ?"Teachers define us,"? stated Stephen Sondheim "In our early years, when we are still being formed, they often see in us more than we see in ourselves, more even than our families see and, as a result, help us to evolve into what we ultimately become. Good teachers are touchstones to paths of achieving more than we might have otherwise accomplished, in directions we might not have gone."? Winner of the Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, Stephen Sondheim has received more Tonys® than any other composer. Mr. Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, The Frogs, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park With George (for which he received a Pulitzer Prize), Into the Woods, Assassins, Passion and Road Show, there are five musical revues based entirely on his work). Revues of his work include Sondheim on Sondheim, Side by Side by Sondheim, Marry Me a Little, You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow, and Putting It Together. For films and television, he composed the scores of Stavisky and Reds and wrote songs for Dick Tracy, for which he received an Academy Award, and Evening Primrose. He was also the recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors in 1993. Mr. Sondheim is on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, having served as its president from 1973 to 1981 .In 2010, A new Broadway Theater was named the after him . To nominate a teacher for the award in any field , please visit kennedycenter.org/sondheimteacherawards. Nomination deadline is December 16, 2011. Betty Siegel Director of VSA and Accessibility The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, D.C. 20566 (202) 416-8727 [email protected]

Building the business of art

AEI and West Liberty University partner to create new center Morgantown WV (June 2011) The Appalachian Education Initiative and West Liberty University are pleased to announce a new partnership which will result in the creation of an arts and education center on the West Liberty campus. The Center will be a collaboration between AEI and the Colleges of Education and Arts and Communication at the University. The Center will provide programs, resources and services for artists, educators, West Liberty students, and others and focus on the arts, education, and the integration of the disciplines. Funding for the Center and the partnership has been provided through a $166,000 grant to West Liberty University from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with West Liberty University," said AEI Executive Director Lou Karas. "This collaboration will not only provide both AEI and West Liberty University with access to new resources, it will also provide opportunities to expand programs and services to support the arts and arts education in West Virginia schools." Dr. Keely Camden, Dean for the College of Education, and Dr. Bill Baronak, Dean for the College of Arts and Communication at West Liberty University, co-authors with Karas on the grant, are working to involve faculty, staff, students, and the community in this collaborative effort. "We are privileged to be working with Lou Karas and AEI and are most grateful to the Benedum Foundation for their support of this collaboration and center," said Dr. Keely Camden. Many of our faculty, staff, and students are already actively engaged in the planning process, and they are very excited for future projects, grants, and professional development," said Dr. Bill Baronak. The College of Arts and Communication houses programs in Art Education, Music Education, Theater, Digital Media Design, Graphic Design, Broadcasting, Communication Studies, Sports Broadcasting, and Documentary Films. The College of Arts and Communication partners closely with the College of Education on Music and Art Education certification programs. A new proposal for Theater Education with teacher certification is being written for state approval. AEI will move its office from Morgantown to the West Liberty University campus this summer. The organization will continue its statewide work, including its relationships with the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and VSA, the international organization for the arts and disabilities from its new location. Planning for the new Center is already underway and will continue through the summer and fall. For more information about the new partnership, contact Ms. Karas at [email protected] or 304-225-010. About AEI: The Appalachian Education Initiative (AEI) is an arts education intermediary, serving as an information broker and partnership builder throughout West Virginia. The organization was founded by Jennifer Francis Alkire and her father, Michael Francis, in 2001 to promote the importance of quality arts in the public school curriculum and to provide support to teachers, artists, administrators, parents and others who are working to provide quality arts programs to West Virginia students. AEI is the West Virginia affiliate of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and a partner with VSA, the international organization for the arts and disabilities. For more information about AEI, go to www.aeiarts.org. About West Liberty University: West Liberty University, a public coeducational school and West Virginia's oldest institution of higher education, is situated on 290 hilltop acres in a rural West Virginia setting just an hour from Pittsburgh, PA. A satellite campus, located at The Highlands Shopping Complex, sits just off Interstate 70, minutes from the Pennsylvania and Ohio borders in West Virginia's northern panhandle. Established in 1837, more than 2,700 students are enrolled. While elementary education and secondary educationare the most selected majors, WLU also provides a variety of other majors including digital media design, hospitality and tourism management, and dental hygiene. With the opening of the newly-built Media Arts Center, West Liberty students now have access to a television studio, recording studio, and digital media labs. The University consists of five Colleges: Gary E. West College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Arts and Communication, the College of Education, and the College of Science. WLU also offers a graduate program, Arts in Education. For more information about West Liberty University, go to www.westliberty.edu.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Arts in Media Funding Category The National Endowment for the Arts' new Arts in Media funding category is designed to help make the excellence and diversity of the arts widely available to the American public through the national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts and media projects that can be considered works of art. The new Arts in Media guidelines replace the Arts on Radio and Television guidelines. All project types that were previously eligible under Arts on Radio and Television remain eligible. In addition, the expanded category now includes all available media platforms, including the Internet, interactive and mobile technologies, digital games, and arts content delivered via satellite, as well as radio and television. Grants are available to support the development, production, and national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts (e.g., visual arts, music, dance, literature, design, theater, musical theater, opera, folk and traditional arts, and media arts including film, audio, animation, and digital art) and media projects that can be considered works of art. Projects may include high profile multi-part or single television and radio programs (documentaries and dramatic narratives), media created for theatrical release, performance programs, artistic segments for use within an existing series, multi-part webisodes, installations, and interactive games. Short films, five minutes and under, will be considered in packages of three or more. The new program guidelines feature an emphasis on innovation as well as strengthening creativity through access to the arts. In order to reach the widest possible audience, priority will be given to projects that include substantive public engagement strategies, including the use of social media. The new program guidelines feature an emphasis on innovation as well as strengthening creativity through access to the arts. In order to reach the widest possible audience, priority will be given to projects that include substantive public engagement strategies, including the use of social media. To be eligible, applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, units of state or local government, or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. Applications through a fiscal agent are not allowed; however, partnerships between artists and eligible nonprofit organizations are encouraged. Any application for a collaborative project representing a partnership between a media organization and an arts, education, or community organization should be submitted by the media organization. Grants generally will range from $10,000 to $200,000, based on the platform and the complexity and scope of the project. Visit the NEA Web site for complete program guidelines, a short video on the new program, and application instructions. Link to Complete RFP

Mockingbird Foundation Invites Applications for Children's Music Education Program Grants The Mockingbird Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization created by fans of the rock band Phish, annually provides competitive grants to U.S. nonprofit organizations and public schools for children's music education programs. The foundation is accepting inquiries for its fifteenth round of competitive grants. The foundation is particularly interested in projects that encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form (including composition, instrumentation, vocalization, or improvisation), but also recognizes broader and more basic needs within conventional instruction. Mockingbird encourages applications associated with diverse or unusual musical styles, genres, forms, and philosophies. The foundation is interested in programs targeting children 18 years of age or younger, but will consider projects that benefit college students, teachers, instructors, and adult students. Mockingbird is particularly (though not exclusively) interested in programs that benefit disenfranchised groups, including those with low skill levels, income, or education; with disabilities or terminal illnesses; and in foster homes, shelters, hospitals, prisons, or other remote or isolated situations. Grants ranging between $100 and $5,000 will be awardedto nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, organizations with an eligible fiscal sponsor, and public schools. In its fourteenth round of funding, the foundation made six new grants totaling $26,300. Visit the foundation's Web site for complete funding guidelines and grant inquiry procedures. Link to Complete RFP

The assistive technology project at New River Click here to read the Press Release.

New and Updated Accessibility Resources on the NEA's Website Maximize your audience potential by ensuring that your facilities and programs are accessible to all! The National Endowment for the Arts’ Office of Accessibility is pleased to announce a tip sheet and updated resources to help arts and cultural organizations with accessibility and compliance: • A brand new tip sheet outlining the revised September 2010 regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act that clarify and amend the requirements for ticketing, mobility devices, service animals, and new construction (attached). • Updated resources, Web links, and contact information in our Design for Accessibility Handbook and Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators. These resources are located on the The Artists of The Renaissance Gallery March 21, 2011 This is the propectus and invitation to be in our spring art show. this show is open to all adult artists. Awards are cash and merchandise. If you have any questions, please ask. I am hoping this will go up as a notice for all the state's artists. My home phone number is 304-757-3241. I am Sue Tschantz, the event coordinator for the Renaissance Gallery. The Artists of The Renaissance Gallery

Artist Factory Presents: Tool Box 1.0: Portfolio Development & Resume Fine Tuning March 8, 2011 Performing Groups: • Andy Park • Charleston Stage Company • Colleen Anderson • Marshall University Event Description: Cost $10 Artist Factory presents Tool Box 1.0: Portfolio Development and Resume Fine Tuning. Learn the basics of building a successful portfolio. Please bring materials for the portfolio and resume. Instructors: Music– Andy Park, President of Local 136, American Federation of Musicians, Kanawha County Teacher Visual Art – Anthony Smith, MFA Academic Lab Manager, Instructor Marshall University Theatre– Frieda Forsley, Creative Director of Charleston Stage Company Literary– Colleen Anderson, Creative writer, Designer and Musician Computers and wireless is available. SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTRATION REQUIRED [email protected] More information at www.artskv.org

AEI Begins Partnership with VSA Morgantown WV (February 2011) The Appalachian Education Initiative is pleased to announce a new partnership with VSA, the international organization on arts and disability. This collaboration will provide AEI with greater access to resources, information and funding for including people with disabilities in the arts. Funding is made possible through the national office of VSA, and is supported in large part by the U.S. Department of Education. AEI will now begin the process of re-establishing VSA programs and services in West Virginia. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with VSA," said AEI Executive Director Lou Karas. "Their priority areas of Education Programs, Professional Development, Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services, and Public Awareness and Outreach are complementary to AEI's work to support the arts and arts education in West Virginia schools." Over the coming year, AEI will form a VSA West Virginia Advisory Committee, conduct several needs assessments, and identify potential partners throughout the state. In addition, AEI will integrate VSA information and resources into its existing programs, resources and services. For more information about AEI and VSA, contact Karas at [email protected] or 304-225-0101. Press Release

FY2012 Arts in Education Applicants The following changes have been made to the AIE application process: • Since the WVCA encourages life-long learning for artists, student artists who have an artistic resume outside of their school work and who are not receiving academic credit should be eligible for funding. • Requests for projects occurring outside of school should not require direct connection to CSOs as long as learning objectives are clear. The application available online does not reflect these changes, but your panel will be advised accordingly. If you have any questions about these changes, contact the AIE Coordinator, Cicely Bosley at [email protected] or 304-558-0240

Poetry, Painting to earn an MD The course list for medical students can be brutal, including old standbys like gross anatomy, cell biology and organic chemistry. Now, aspiring doctors can add to that poetry and painting. Medical schools are placing a growing emphasis on the humanities, including courses in writing, art and literature. The programs aim to teach students "right-brain" insights and skills they won't learn dissecting cadavers or studying pathology slides. Schools hope the programs help to turn out a new generation of physicians better able to listen attentively to patients, show emotion and provide sensitive personal care. At Brown University's medical school, a reflective-writing program assesses students' ability to express feelings about experiences such as witnessing their first death or dealing with a difficult patient. A humanities track at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine requires students to submit creative works or review submissions to a new literary journal, "The Examined Life." New York University School of Medicine launched a division of medical humanities last month offering a wide range of arts programs to foster appreciation for the human aspects of medicine. It showcases student works in "Agora," an arts journal. For more Information Click Here.

State gets start on 2012 wildlife calendar January 20, 2011 SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It may seem a bit early, but the state Division of Natural Resources is starting on its 2012 wildlife calendar. The agency's Wildlife Resources Section says the deadline for submissions for 2012 is Feb. 15. The agency wants a high resolution electronic image or a 35-mm color slide of each entry. Artists are allowed to submit more than one entry. The idea is to depict popular game and fish species or the state's diverse array of wildlife. Paintings of snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, small mammals as well as non-game fish are also encouraged. The state pays a $100 prize for monthly paintings and $500 for the cover. By The Associated Press

The Accessible Recreation Guide for West Virginia including Arts and Cultural Organizations.

Statewide “Poetry Out Loud” competition announced

West Virginia Division of Culture and History awards 15 Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources grants

New program to recognize student artists Appalachian Education Initiative, Chesapeake Energy partner on project Morgantown WV (October 13, 2010) The Appalachian Education Initiative (www.aeiarts.org) and Chesapeake Energy (www.chk.com) are teaming up to recognize West Virginia public high school juniors and seniors who excel in school arts programs and demonstrate leadership and excellence in other education and community activities. The new Student Artist of the Month program begins this month and continues through the school year. “One of our primary goals at AEI is to increase awareness of the importance and value that arts education brings to our public school students,” said Lou Karas, AEI executive director. “We are pleased that Chesapeake Energy chose to partner with us and help us emphasize that arts programs are a necessary component of public education for all students. Children who participate in the arts learn creativity and self confidence that will enhance their lives no matter what career path they choose.” “It is appropriate that we introduce our program this month because October is National Arts and Humanities Month,” said Jack Thompson, public relations coordinator for Chesapeake Energy. “While our business deals with exacting calculations and science, we know very well that employees who are creative and skilled in the critical thinking processes that they learn through the arts are some of our very best.” Each month AEI and Chesapeake Energy will select one student from those who are nominated. That student will be featured on the AEI web site along with photos and an interview. All of the students will be recognized in the spring at a special awards luncheon, hosted by Chesapeake Energy. To be nominated for the recognition, a student must meet five criteria, according to Karas. A student must: • Be a junior or senior attending a West Virginia public school • Participate on an ongoing basis in a visual or performing arts program and have mastered that art or progressed in the field as a result of school-related activities • Be in good academic standing • Participate in other extracurricular activities or community activities that do not have to be arts related • Demonstrate leadership skills Students may be nominated by school personnel and community members by completing the nomination form on the AEI web site, www.aeiarts.org or via www.surveymonkey.com/s/student-artist. Print copies of the nomination form are available by contacting Karas via Email or calling 304-225-0101. Lou Karas Executive Director Appalachian Education Initiative 111 High Street Morgantown, WV 26505 304/225-0101 Email www.aeiarts.org

National Endowment for the Arts Announces Beth Bienvenu as the New Director of the Office of Accessibility Washington, D.C. - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today that Beth Bienvenu will join the NEA as the new director of the Office of Accessibility. Dr. Bienvenu will manage the NEA’s technical assistance and advocacy work devoted to making the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults including veterans, and people living in institutions. This includes initiatives related to universal design, arts and aging, arts in healthcare, and careers in the arts for people with disabilities. She will begin her work today. Prior to coming to the NEA, Ms. Bienvenu worked for five years as a policy advisor with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment Policy. In that capacity, she analyzed federal laws and regulations, as well as public and private sector policies and practices related to all elements of employment for persons with disabilities. She created and delivered training sessions on recruiting, hiring, accommodating, and retaining individuals with disabilities and developed partnerships with other federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business on behalf on those constituents. In addition, since August 2005, Ms. Bienvenu was an adjunct professor at George Mason University teaching arts policy in the Master of Arts Management program. “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Bienvenu to the NEA,” said Chairman Rocco Landesman. “Her achievements and commitment on behalf of people with disabilities are significant and the relationships she has developed with other federal agencies and organizations will be particularly important as we forge ahead with this work.” Ms. Bienvenu said, “I look forward to working with the NEA staff and constituents in the field to ensure that everyone can participate in arts programs as audience members, participants, artists, or performers. I am honored to continue the Accessibility Office’s excellent work in helping arts organizations become fully accessible, bringing the arts to underrepresented groups, and ensuring that these groups are served by NEA programs.” From 2000-2005, Ms. Bienvenu was a senior associate with TATC Consulting, a Washington DC-based firm providing management consulting services. One of her projects with TATC was to work with the Institute for Museum and Library Services, DOL, and the NEA on youth employment programs with arts organizations and libraries. Also, she has been a consultant with the Center for Nonprofit Management in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and program coordinator with the University of Oklahoma’s Advanced Programs, Europe. Ms. Bienvenu has a B.A. in Sociology and Music from Alma College in Alma, Michigan; M.A. in Sociology from Indiana University; M.A. in Arts Administration from Indiana University; and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the University of Oklahoma, Norman. Ms. Bienvenu replaces Paula Terry who has served at the NEA since 1979 on behalf of populations often isolated from full participation in the arts. Ms. Terry has established leadership initiatives in Creativity and Aging, Universal Design, Careers in the Arts for Individuals with Disabilities, Arts in Healthcare, and Arts in Corrections. Under her leadership the Accessibility Office has helped form a nationwide network of accessibility coordinators in state and regional arts agencies and has produced a variety of reports and technical assistance materials for the field. In recognition of her accomplishments, the NEA has garnered national honors including the 1998 Universal Design Award, a 2002 award from the National Business & Disability Council. In 2006, the NEA was recognized for excellence in accessibility leadership by the Christopher Reeve Foundation and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information on the NEA’s accessibility programs and publications, please visit arts.gov

Professional Development for Teachers The Kennedy Center offers professional development resources for teachers. Available on DVD or VHS: Living Pictures: A Theatrical Technique for Learning Across the Curriculum, which explores how tableau can be integrated with history, literature, or visual art; and Words Alive: Building Vocabulary and Stimulating Writing, which demonstrates multi-sensory activities to help students improve both their vocabularies and their writing skills. Visit: www.kennedy-center.org/education/pdot/livingpictures and www.kennedy-center.org/education/ceta/wordsalive.html

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman Announces $300,000 for 20 Literature Translation Fellowships September 8, 2010 Since 1981, the NEA has awarded 323 Fellowships for works in 61 languages from 71 countries. Washington, DC — NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman today announced $300,000 in 20 literary fellowships to support the translation of works into English. Available to previously published literary translators for specific projects, many of these fellowships will result in the first English translation of outstanding works of international literature. This year’s projects vary from the ancient to the contemporary, involving works in 13 different languages from 17 countries ranging from novels and poetry to memoirs and myths: Esther Allen (Spanish) for Zama, a 1956 novel by Argentine writer Antonio Di Benedetto Robert Bononno (French) for The Mysteries of Paris by novelist Eugène Sue Sean Cotter (Romanian) for Belgrade in Five Friends and Other Poems by Nichita Stanescu Bill Coyle (Swedish) for a collection of contemporary poetry by Håkan Sandell Anne O. Fisher (Russian) for The Joyous Science: The Selected Poetry of Maxim Amelin Dick Gerdes (Spanish) for the Mexican novel Península, Península by Hernán Lara Zavala,br> Jason Grunebaum (Hindi) for Manzoor Ahtesham’s novel The Tale of the Missing Man Joshua Halberstam (Yiddish) for Chassidim Re-tell, a collection of Chassidic tales by Rabbi Tovia Halberstam Yasmeen S. Hanoosh (Arabic) for Closing His Eyes, a collection of short stories by Iraqi writer and critic Luay Hamza Abbas Deborah Hoffman (Russian) for Eufrosinia Kersnovskaia’s memoir How Much Is a Person Worth? Edward Gauvin (French) for Fear of the First Line, selected stories from Belgian writer Bernard Quiriny Tsipi Keller (Hebrew) for Reality Crumbs, a collection of Raquel Chalfi’s poetry Myung-Hee Kim (Korean) for Steel and Flesh: Korean Stories 1945-48, an anthology of prose from North and South Korea Elizabeth Novickas (Lithuanian) for Petras Cvirka’s 1934 novel Frank Kruk Aaron Poochigian (Ancient Greek) for the epic 6,000-line poem “Argonautika” by Apollonius of Rhodes Jessica Powell (Spanish) for Woman in Battle Dress, a historical novel by Cuban writer Antonio Benítez Rojo John Galbraith Simmons (French) for Marquis de Sade’s novel Aline and Valcour Clare Sullivan (Spanish/Zapotec) for Black Olive Tree and Other Zapotec Poems by Mexican poet Natalia Toledo John Taylor (French) for Paper Collage, a collection of essays by Georges Perros Kelly Washbourne (Spanish) for Legends of Guatemala, a collection of eight tales and myths by Nobel Laureate Miguel Ángel Asturias Complete descriptions of each funded project are available at arts.gov. “Translation brings works of literature to new audiences, and translation is, itself, an art,” said NEA Chairman Landesman. “These 20 projects will bring new words and the worlds they describe to American audiences. We are proud of the NEA’s 30-year history of investing in literary translation.” Former NEA Translation Fellow (2009) Charlotte Mandell said, “My translation of Mathias Énard’s French novel Zone would never have been possible without the grant I received from the NEA, since that was my sole source of income when I was working on Zone. Imagine our literary canon without Proust or Flaubert or Balzac in English—how much poorer we would be culturally and intellectually. Without the NEA, many of the books that could become classics in the future—Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 comes to mind—would not be published at all in English.” The recipients of the National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships will receive either $12,500 or $25,000 depending on the scope and merit of their projects. (The amount of the awards is pending Congressional approval of the NEA’s fiscal year 2011 budget.) The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation's largest annual national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov. Contact: Liz Stark, 202-682-5744, [email protected].

Embracing Our Differences July 13, 2010 *Embracing Our Differences* invites artists, photographers, professionals, amateurs, teachers and students to participate in its 8th annual visual art exhibit celebrating diversity. National and international submissions are encouraged. 45 artists will be selected for the exhibit. The *Embracing Our Differences* exhibit will be displayed throughout the months of April and May 2011 at Island Park along Sarasota’s beautiful bayfront. Since 2004, the exhibit has been viewed by more than 850,000 visitors. The exhibit will contain 39 billboard-sized (16 feet wide by 12 1/2 feet high) images of the selected artworks. In the judges’ discretion, an additional six “honorable mention” selections may be made. Final selections will be chosen based on artistic excellence in reflection of the theme “Embracing Our Differences”. The art-work will also be evaluated on how effectively it will read outdoors when enlarged to billboard size – 16 feet wide by 12 1/2 feet high. Artists are encouraged to use bold saturated colors and strong lines. Final selections will be made by a 3-judge panel of professional artists, curators and art professionals. A total of $3,000.00 in awards will be presented. Deadline for submission is January 10, 2011. There is no submission fee nor limit on the number of entries. Submission forms and more information concerning past winning submissions are available at www.EmbracingOurDifferences.org or by emailing [email protected].

The Ford Foudation is calling for proposals for “Space for Change” planning and pre-development grants

Kennedy Center president gives advice to W.Va. arts groups

West Virginia Division of Culture and History announces Poetry Out Loud contest winner

State legislative leadership award winners announced at Governor’s Arts Awards

Lynn Boggess receives Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, Seven artists and arts organizations receive Governor’s Arts Awards for 2010

West Virginia Division of Culture and History posts new Artist Roster on-line

PHOTO, POETRY, ILLUSTRATIONS AND SHORT STORY CONTEST BY FERR-MAR PRODUCTIONS For information: Stephanie Ferrell, FerrMar Productions, (304) 205-5327 PHOTO, POETRY, ILLUSTRATIONS AND SHORT STORY CONTEST BY FERR-MAR PRODUCTIONS January 28, 2010 – Charleston, WV -- FerrMar Productions is publishing an anthology called Return to Rural America by Stephanie Rene Ferrell of Charleston, West Virginia. After having been born and raised in Appalachia, then spending nearly 16 years in New York City and other big city life, she returned to live in rural America. This visual story will highlight the culture, the people and the aesthetic qualities of rural America. FerrMar is holding a competition to anyone who has photographs, poetry, illustrations and short stories to enter, which could possibly result in being published in this anthology or subsequent ones. The cost to enter is $5.00 per entry. There is no limit to the amount of entries one person can submit. Checks or money orders should be made payable to: Steph F Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a FerrMar Productions, and mailed to: 343 Campbells Creek Drive, Charleston, WV 25306. For inquiries, e-mail [email protected]. Currently, Stephanie has 121 photos of her own in this collection; each photo has its own story. Poetry, recipes, illustrations, quotes, and other elements will be part of the anthology, but the focus will be the photography and respective short stories telling about that particular photography and the cultural history and beauty behind it. Even in distressed towns and counties there are always some beauty or some wonderful cultural history or landmarks that deserve their own stories. Some of these places may never have been documented before. This Return to Rural America project began in 1995 and is not purely dedicated to Appalachia, because it has rural pictures and aspects from other areas, such as the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, the Carolinas, Florida and other rural places. The initiative here is to dedicate this anthology to those rural communities and people so that they can gain the attention and appreciation that they so well deserve. Typically in rural America there are financially distressed people who are amongst state and national poverty levels. But that does not mean that they aren’t rich in other ways and proud of their homeland. Their life is simple and they do not have the money for luxuries but they make do. They are crafty, hardworking and very important people that should be recognized. Most of these people refuse to allow the collapse of rural America because in the beginning of America, that was all that people had – the rural American tools that some of them still use today. The following verse from the New Testament of the Holy Bible states: "The husbandman that laboreth must be the first partaker of the fruits." 1 Timothy 5:18. Rural American people are the “husbandry” of our nation. That’s the story this publication plans to tell.

Peoples Bancorp Foundation Offers Community Grants in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky

President Obama announces opportunities for arts participation in 2009 through his United We Serve program

Listening for a Change: Oral History and Appalachian Heritage

West Virginia Division of Culture and History announces Poetry Out Loud contest winner for 2009

News from the National Endowment for the Arts

Help us help you! The Arts Section is looking for feedback to help us be better responsive to the needs of our constituents. Please take a few moments to fill out the HELP US HELP YOU! survey. Candid responses are appreciated.

William Davis honored with Governor's Arts Award for lifetime achievement

Accessibility Mini-Grants from Ohio River Border Initiative The Ohio River Border Initiative now has Accessibility Mini-Grants available at www.orbi.org. Applications will be accepted beginning April 1, 2008. Grants up to $1000 for counties that border Ohio. For more information visit www.orbi.org or email Bill Howley at [email protected]. Phone 304-655-8255.

Arts section of Division of Culture and History offers new e-mail service 2/20/2007 The arts section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History is offering a new e-mail service available through its office. The new service is designed to provide periodic e-mail messages with deadline dates for all its grants and regional information that may be of interest. In addition, the service will allow the arts section to send information and announcements about specific grants as well as resource advice to assist applicants. Anyone interested in being placed on this arts database should send an e-mail message to [email protected], including name, mailing address, position/discipline, organization, grants of specific interest to you or your organization, grants you have applied for in the past, and any additional pertinent information indicating your interest in the arts. E-mail addresses will not be shared with any other database service, including spam, mass marketing campaigns or other organizations. Specific questions about grants and applications should continue to be directed to the individual grant coordinators: Barbie Anderson, grants coordinator; Debbie Rainey Haught, community arts coordinator; Gregg McAllister, arts in education and mini grant coordinator; Rose McDonough, cultural facilities and accessibility coordinator; and Jeff Pierson, individual arts coordinator. For more information or to reach the arts section, call (304) 558-0240. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the state capitol complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. - 30 -

We are always looking for professional teaching artists

Literary map of WV featuring 138 authors and original art.

Poets & Writers Magazine announces state and national prizes in writing

Local Writers' Groups in West Virginia

Arts and Crafts Industry contributes $54.5 million to West Virginia economy ARTS & CRAFTS INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES $54.5 MILLION ANNUALLY TO STATE ECONOMY Results of Ground-breaking Study Demonstrate Significance of Industry Charleston, W.Va. – The results of a recent study into the economic impact of the arts and crafts industry show that more than $54 million is contributed to the state economy each year through the sale of arts and crafts in West Virginia. The study, sponsored by six state arts and crafts organizations and the Small Business Development Division of the West Virginia Development Office, is the first of its kind to measure the arts and crafts industry in West Virginia. (study highlights) Modeled on the 2001 CODA Survey: The Impact of Crafts on the National Economy, the West Virginia study queried some 2,539 artists and craftspeople in the state about their overall sales, income, studio situations and needs. The findings will be used to demonstrate the significance of the industry as a means of earning a living for thousands of West Virignia residents and lend

www.artsaction.org - Take action for a quality arts education.

INCOME PRODUCING/COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT CHANGE "On October 17, 2017 the West Virginia Legislature voted to increase the Income Producing/commercial rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25%. The State Historic Preservation Office is currently working to update information and instructions on the program. Please contact Jennifer Brennan - (304)558-0240, ext. 138, Tax Credit Coordinator, regarding the changes to the program."

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Invites Quilters to Make Handmade Squares for a West Virginia Statehood Sesquicentennial Quilt

Section 106 Digital Submission Policy (PDF)

Cemeteries and the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office

Guidelines for Phase I, II, and III Archaeological Investigations and Technical Report Preparation

West Virginia's County Courthouses - photos and text from the 2003 calendar are online

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Announces September Programs

Annual Quilt and Wall Hanging Exhibition on Display at the Culture Center

Juried Exhibition Artists Announced West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Host Exhibition Opening at Art Museum of WVU

West Virginia State Museum Announces New Saturday Family Programs

West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Participate in Blue Star Museums http://www.wvculture.org/news.aspx?Agency=Division&Id=3023

West Virginia State Museum Earns 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Honored as a Top Performing Museum as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel Site

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Introduces New State Museum App

Guidelines for submitting a collection to the Archaeological Collections Facility

Deadline Extended for 2021 West Virginia Juried Exhibition

July 29, 2021

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) has extended the deadline for its 22nd biennial West Virginia Juried Exhibition. Submissions for the exhibit in the form of digital images on CD or USB flash drive will now be accepted until Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. The show will be on display at the Culture Center in Charleston. Since 1979, the exhibition has celebrated the exceptional talents and creativity of Mountain State artists.

Artists may submit two pieces for the exhibition with a limit of three digital images per entry. Entry forms and properly identified images must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $20 per piece. Make check payable to West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. Digital images can be mailed to WVDACH, West Virginia Juried Exhibition (WVJE) 2021, The Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd., E., Charleston, W.Va. 25305-0300, or hand-delivered to the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex. An option to email images will be available this year by first contacting Cailin Howe, exhibits coordinator, to ensure your images are submitted properly. Image file sizes must be small enough to be received through email, an entry form must be included, and entry fee will still need to be mailed to the department.

Eligible entries include works created in the past two years in the areas of painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, digital art, mixed media and crafts.

Entrants must be over the age of 18 and must be residents of or maintain a permanent residence in West Virginia. Entrants also must complete a WVDACH Artists’ Register form at http://www.wvculture.org/museum/artsreg.html and submit six slides or digital images representative of current work for the file at the department. The images submitted for the Artists’ Register are not used in jurying entries into the exhibition.

A prospectus for the exhibit is available online at http://www.wvculture.org/museum/juried/2021/juriedexperspectous2021NEW.pdf.

The department will present up to $33,000 in awards for the exhibition. The awards are made available through the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and the WVDACH through funds appropriated by the West Virginia Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. Awards may include three $5,000 Governor’s Awards (purchase awards), seven $2,000 Awards of Excellence (purchase awards) and eight $500 Merit Awards (non-purchase awards). Works receiving Purchase Awards become part of the West Virginia State Museum’s permanent art collection.

The exhibit will open at the Culture Center with an awards ceremony and reception at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, and remain on display through Feb. 14, 2022. The exhibit showcases the work of state artists and craftspeople and provides the public with a comprehensive view of art and craft activities in the state.

For more information or to inquire about submitting your entries via email, contact Howe at (304) 558-0220, ext. 128 or [email protected].

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Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Offers Free Programs and Events in June

June 16, 2021

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville resumes its public programs and events in June with activities for children, a lecture on “Juneteenth and its History in the Ohio Valley,” and a new featured Artist of the Month. Also of interest are a towering replica stegodon skeleton and a house frame that is the first step in re-constructing a prehistoric Adena house. Both are recent additions to the museum’s exhibits. These programs, activities and the exhibits are open to the public free of charge. Visitors also are welcomed by a newly remodeled gift shop stocked with many locally made items.

A highlight of the month’s activities will be a lecture titled “Juneteenth and its History in the Ohio Valley” by Ronald Scott, Jr., program director, Cultural Diversity and Community Outreach at the Wheeling YWCA on Saturday, June 19, at noon. The program will discuss the freeing of African American slaves in the Ohio Valley, and how their emancipation has been celebrated through the years. Scott is one of the organizers of Juneteenth celebrations in Wheeling and invites everyone to join in remembering those who suffered because of the color of their skin, and to celebrate the rich culture, contributions, and accomplishments of African Americans in our communities.

June 20th marks West Virginia Day, the day the Mountain State separated from Virginia in 1863. This event will be celebrated throughout the month at the museum’s “Discovery” table where visitors can show their Mountaineer pride by making a fan to keep cool this summer. The fan proclaims, “I’m a West Virginia Fan!” and features an outline of the state that can be colored according to the artist’s imagination. The Complex also will open for special hours on Sunday, June 20, from 1 – 5 p.m.

The museum is also pleased to resume its Artist of the Month exhibits. The artist for June is Lydia Grimm. Grimm started working with metal embossing in 2019 when gifted a metal piece her father made in high school. She continues to make metal art and necklaces and has also worked with acrylic paint since 2020. She loves to add local wildlife to her paintings and adds an extra element to her backgrounds. Grimm lives in West Virginia with her husband and their young child and appears at local craft and art shows in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility.

Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is currently operating on a modified schedule due to the pandemic. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound.

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2020 Artistree Prospectus 2020 Artistree Prospectus

44 Students to Compete in West Virginia Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition on March 13-14, 2020

PLEASE SEE THE NOTE BELOW REGARDING THE WEST VIRGINIA POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS

The West Virginia Poetry Out Loud Finals event scheduled for March 13 and 14 in Charleston has been postponed until further notice. This afternoon, Governor Justice held a press conference announcing several precautionary measures related to public health and prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. As part of those measures, Governor Justice urged all state agencies to avoid holding large meetings or gatherings. Our Poetry Out Loud team shares the Governor’s concern for the wellbeing of students and their families, and it is in this spirit that we are postponing the Poetry Out Loud State Finals. We certainly do hope to reschedule and will share more details as soon as possible.

March 10, 2020

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Forty-four students from across West Virginia will recite poems by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson, Billy Collins, Sara Teasdale, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ada Limón, Hanif Abdurraqib and many others during the 2020 Poetry Out Loud state finals competition set for March 13-14, 2020, at the Culture Center in Charleston.

The winner will represent West Virginia at the 2020 national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C., on April 27 – 29.

Storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp will serve as master of ceremonies for the state competition. Lepp is a five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest and winner of the 2018 Vandalia Award. His books and audio collections have received awards and recognition from the Parents’ Choice Foundation, the National Parenting Publications Association, and the Public Library Association. He has performed at the National Storytelling Festival and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

The semifinal competition begins with Division I at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 13, with Division II beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final competition begins at 1 p.m. All sessions are free and open to the public.

The Montani Quartet, a graduate string ensemble based at West Virginia University, will perform during the finals. Saturday’s program also features 2019 Poetry Out Loud champion Brett Napier, violinist Alasha Al-Qudwah and West Virginia poet laureate Marc Harshman.

Harshman will serve as a judge for the competition, along with Amy Alvarez, a poet and educator at West Virginia University; author and songwriter Colleen Anderson; Kay Goodwin, former secretary of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts; Charleston-based author Rajia Hassib; Joel Peckham, a poet and professor of English at Marshall University; and performing artist and educator Mitzi Sinnott.

The state champion receives $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to the national finals. The school receives $500 to purchase poetry books and materials. The runner-up receives $100, while the school receives $200 for poetry books and materials.

Participating students and teachers receive original works created by West Virginia artists. The state champion and runner-up also will receive custom handmade trophies.

Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry Magazine, the oldest English-language monthly publication dedicated to verse. The program is designed to encourage high school-age students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

For more information, contact Jim Wolfe, arts in education coordinator, at (304) 558-0240 or email him at [email protected].

ALPHABETICAL SCHOOL LIST WITH STUDENT COMPETITORS:
Benjamin Rogers – Berkeley Springs High School
Katie Pearson – Buckhannon-Upshur High School
KT Terry – Cabell Midland High School
Israel Wright – Capital High School
Madison Barton – East Hardy High School
Clare Talbott – Elkins High School
Charlie Long – George Washington High School
Brooke Hodges – Grafton High School
Callie McFerrin – Greenbrier East High School
Ariana Mooney – Greenbrier West High School
Alexandra Biddle – Huntington High School
Melia Beckford – Hurricane High School
Brooklyn Golden – Lewis County High School
Louis Rodina – Lincoln High School
Brooke Ooten – Logan High School
Bri Goddard – Magnolia High School
Holly Johnson – Meadow Bridge High School
Julie Bowen – Moorefield High School
Theresa Appleyard – Morgantown High School
Galilea Villasenor – Nicholas County High School
Nicole Schumacher – Notre Dame High School
Alissa McGaffick – Oak Glen High School
Kaylin Burdette – Oak Hill High School
Serenity Strother – Paden City High School
Isobella Marteney – Parkersburg High School
Billy Bowers – Paw Paw High School
Isabella McNaboe – Philip Barbour High School
Kayli Mann – PikeView High School
Leo Mollohan – Ripley High School
Mikayla Steele – Roane County High School
Cadee Mae Green – Scott High School
Makayla Schrader – Shady Spring High School
Kayden Upton – South Charleston High School
Rhéa Ming – Spring Mills High School
Emily Hall – Spring Valley High School
Camille Mooney – St. James Homeschoolers
Mattelyn Lamp – St. Marys High School
Shyanne Moore – Valley High School
Allison Paige Blankenship – Webster County High School
Olivia Dowler – Weir High School
Kelly Williams – Wheeling Park High School
Brooklyn Rood – Wirt County High School
Ethan Lilly – Woodrow Wilson High School
Kalli Stewart – Wyoming East High School

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Deadline Reminder for Historic Revitalization Grant Applications

Jan. 16, 2020

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Applications are now available for a new grant program for rural resources in West Virginia through the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Arts, Culture and History, the West Virginia Legislature and the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Deadline for receipt of applications is postmarked Jan. 31, 2020. The goal of the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program is to assist resources in rural communities across West Virginia. Eligible projects include the restoration, rehabilitation or archaeological development of historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Privately owned properties are only eligible in instances where there is evidence of public support or public benefit. Governmental properties that are not accessible to the public are not eligible for funding. Applicant may be a state or local government agency, not-for-profit organization, private citizen, for-profit firm or organization, education institution or Certified Local Governments. Resources in the following cities will not be considered: Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown and Wheeling.

A complete program description, including funding priorities and selection criteria is available from the grants staff of the Historic Preservation Office at (304) 558-0240 or on our web site at http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/GrantManual/HistoricRevive/Historicrevive.html. It is anticipated that approximately $435,000 will be available for these grant awards. Non-federal matching share is not required to be eligible for this grant but will be considered as a competitive factor.

For more information on the programs of the Historic Preservation Office call (304) 558-0240. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host Grant Writing Workshop and Listening Tour in Charles Town

January 14, 2020

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) State Arts Office will host a grant writing workshop and listening tour in Charles Town on Thursday, Jan. 30. The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. at Charles Washington Hall, 100 W. Washington St. Charles Town, WV. It is free and open to the public.

The grant writing workshop will take place from 9 – 10:30 a.m., and the listening tour will take place from 10:30 a.m. – noon.

The workshop will discuss basic skills for writing grants in the arts, such as how to write a more clear and consistent narrative, how to effectively state one’s goals and various strengths and weaknesses commonly found in applications.

A listening tour will immediately follow the grant writing workshop. Listening tours are informal meetings where citizens of West Virginia are allowed the opportunity to address staff from the State Arts Office to make recommendations related to the improvements of the arts in their communities and throughout West Virginia.

For more information about the West Virginia Commission on the Arts or the WVDACH, visit www.wvculture.org. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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Poetry Out Loud Registration Set for Dec. 5

Nov. 20, 2019

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 2020 West Virginia Poetry Out Loud (POL) state competition registration deadline is set for Monday, Dec. 5, 2019. All West Virginia public and private high schools and homeschool associations are encouraged to participate in the event, which is sponsored annually by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. The statewide competition will be held at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on March 13-14, 2020.

Poetry Out Loud is a national contest and free program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The competition begins on a school-wide level, with the winners at each school advancing to the statewide competition. The POL curriculum is designed to meet state and national standards in language arts and reading.

Program materials include an online poetry anthology, teacher’s guide, lesson plans, posters and audio-visual materials on the art of recitation. These materials can be downloaded at www.poetryoutloud.org, or the materials are available from the department.

In the 2018-2019 school year, 51 West Virginia high schools held Poetry Out Loud competitions. One hundred thirteen teachers worked with 4,167 students at the local level. Forty-five finalists from the school competitions competed at the state event. Brett Napier of Greenbrier East High School was selected the 2019 state champion. Napier competed in the national finals in Washington, D.C.

To learn more about Poetry Out Loud, receive the program materials and register for the state competition, visit http://www.wvculture.org/arts/pol or contact Jim Wolfe, program coordinator, at [email protected] or 304-558-0240.

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West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History to Host Exhibit Opening for “HIGH DRAMA: Costumes from the Contemporary American Theater Festival,” Sept. 30

Sept. 25, 2019

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) will host an opening and reception for a new exhibit, “HIGH DRAMA: Costumes from the Contemporary American Theater Festival,” at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on Monday, Sept. 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.

The WVDACH worked with the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) to bring this spectacular exhibit to Charleston. It will be on display in the Culture Center Balcony Gallery through Nov. 4, 2019. “HIGH DRAMA” showcases the artists of CATF and includes costumes, shoes, fabric swatches, drawings, props and small-scale models of scenery from past CATF productions, such as “In the Garden of Allah,” “The Second Girl,” “Everything You Touch,” “A Welcome Guest” and “My Lord, What a Night.”

The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University, is a professional theater dedicated to producing and developing new American plays. One of the top three premier play Festivals in the country, CATF is committed to telling stories that are immediate, fervent and often provocative and challenging. The scenery, costumes and visual dialogue of these plays convey these narratives with passion, creativity and boldness.

Peggy McKowen, CATF associate producing director, also will host an artist talk prior to the opening at the Culture Center from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. The session is free and open to the public and all are invited to join.

For more information about the exhibit and opening, contact Charles Morris, WVDACH director of museums, at (304) 558-0220 or [email protected].

WHO: West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and Contemporary American Theater Festival
WHAT: “HIGH DRAMA: Costumes from the Contemporary American Theater Festival” exhibit opening and reception
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 30, 2019
WHERE: Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, Charleston

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Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Announces July Activities

July 11, 2019

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Families looking for things to do on hot July days should visit the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex this month. Guests can enjoy planned programs throughout the month, and the museum’s exhibits and Discovery Table craft activity are available during regular museum hours. All programs and events are free and open to the public.

Schedule of July Programs:

Saturday, July 13, 1 and 3 p.m. - Second Saturday film, “Making North America: Human.” Part of the PBS NOVA documentary series, this 60-minute film will explore how human lives and destinies were shaped by the North American continent. Narrated by renowned paleontologist and Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Director Kirk Johnson, it explores how the first humans entered North America and what surprises may be in store for its future human inhabitants due to the geology of the continent.

Saturday, July 20, 2 p.m. - “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the First Moon Landing.” This program is featured in honor of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s famous first step on the moon, declaring “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” July 20 marks the anniversary, which was part of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission. The program will feature a series of short films of Apollo and Skylab missions from the personal collection of Rudolf Keller, a young scientist employed in the space industry in California at the time.

Saturday, July 27, 1 p.m. – storyteller Judi Tarowsky will regale visitors with tales that feature female protagonists in a program titled “Damsels to the Rescue!” She will tell two old fairy tales, “The Nettle Spinner" from Belgium, and “The Groac’h of the Isle of Lok” from Breton.

Throughout the month of July, visitors also can view the exhibit Historic Images of Grave Creek Mound in the museum’s entry lobby. Guests can also stop by the Discovery Table to create fireflies that glow in the dark using plastic beads and pipe cleaners.

Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m.

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Announces May Events

May 10, 2019

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville has planned a full schedule of programs throughout the month of May for visitors of all ages, including an exhibit by the Ohio Valley Photography Club, second Saturday film, lecture, planting of the Interpretive Garden and a craft at the museum’s Discovery Table. All programs are free and open to the public.

Schedule of May Programs

Saturday, May 11, 1 and 3 p.m. – Second Saturday Film Series, “Lewis and Clark: A Scientific Journey” (52 min), followed by “Lewis and Clark: The Eastern Legacy” (20 min), will be shown to celebrate the recent federal recognition of the addition of 1,200 miles to the eastern portion of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The films will be shown back to back during the two designated times.

Saturday, May 18 and Saturday, June 1, noon – 4 p.m. – Help Plant the Museum’s Interpretive Garden, visitors are invited to help plant the museum’s Interpretive Garden and learn about crops grown and used in this region by Native Americans. Heirloom seeds will be planted using a replica of a prehistoric stone garden hoe. Other activities include grinding corn, an “Earthworm Habitat,” packing and labeling seeds to take home and grow, and a special display of books and items relating to Native American gardens by Marian Meg Phillips. All indoor activities will take place rain or shine.

Thursday, May 30, 7 p.m. – Lecture Series, Wayne Worth, creator and producer of the Facebook series "On the Road in West Virginia: Our 55 Counties," will present “On the Road in West Virginia.” Worth shares how he was adopted into a loving West Virginia family, with a supportive community and the blessings and opportunities that came with them. This experience inspired him to create his video series that took him to every county in West Virginia. He has over 40,000 followers on Facebook and his films are used in about a dozen 8th grade West Virginia history classrooms.

Featured Artist of the Month - visitors can view an exhibit by the Ohio Valley Photography Club throughout the month of May.

Discovery Table – Guests can plant sunflower seeds from the museum’s Interpretive Garden in yogurt cups to take home and grow. This activity is available during regular museum hours.

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“Fighting for Freedom: The Story of the United States Colored Troops” to be Presented at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling on Feb. 23

Feb. 13, 2019

WHEELING, W.Va. – Anthony Gibbs will present “Freedom, Citizenship, and Equality: The Story of the United States Colored Troops” at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. The program will begin at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Almost 200,000 black soldiers fought for the Union during the Civil War. Their story is a unique chapter in the American conflict. These men were freedom fighters who fought for emancipation and for full citizenship rights. Gibbs discusses events significant to these men that led up to the Civil War, and what made these men different from the other thousands who fought and died in the War Between the States.

Gibbs has traveled throughout the state of Ohio as a teaching artist and living history performer. He has portrayed living history characters such as John Parker, an Underground Railroad conductor from Ripley, Ohio; Milton Holland, a soldier and Medal of Honor recipient of the 5th U.S.C.T.; and other key figures in African American history. For more than 12 years, he has presented historical workshops and performances on the United States Colored Troops and their participation in the Civil War. Gibbs is a graduate of Ohio State University. He is currently employed by the Ohio History Connection as the manager of Local History Services. He also is founder and creative director of Black Historic Impressions, an organization dedicated to the remembrance, appreciation and exhibition of African American contributions throughout history.

West Virginia Independence Hall has been on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1970. It was originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, the museum is maintained and operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with the exception of major holidays. The museum is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling.

For more information about this event or WVIH, contact Debbie Jones, site manager, at (304) 238-1300 or [email protected].

Photo of Gibbs

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Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Hosts Fossil Day

Sept. 10, 2018

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. – Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will host Fossil Day from noon to 4 pm on Saturday, Sept. 15. All activities are free and open to the public.

Visitors are invited to bring fossils for expert identification by Dr. Ronald Mc Dowell, senior research geologist and head of the Geoscience Section of the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) in Morgantown. McDowell specializes in invertebrate paleontology, the study of large and small fossil animals that do not have an internal skeleton, and holds a Ph.D. in geology from the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo.

Hands-on activities during Fossil Day include making “fossil” impressions in clay and excavating a “fossil bed” that was created during the March Fossil Day. Small fossils can be found in a sand “matrix,” and supplies will be on hand to make a piece of fossil jewelry.

The film “Rocks and Rivers: West Virginia’s Geologic Heritage” will play in the museum’s auditorium throughout the afternoon, courtesy of the WVGES.

A museum hunt will take place in the exhibit Prehistoric West Virginia, which is on loan courtesy of its curators and owners, E. Ray and Mary Ellen Garton of Prehistoric Planet. Prizes will be available.

Fossil Day attendees may also consider a visit to the Elizabethtown Festival, which will be held across the street at the Old West Virginia Penitentiary, and the fall festival held just down the street on Jefferson Avenue. Both events will run from 10 am to 6 pm.

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Charlie Cooper and Billy Joe Peyton to Present “Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha” in the Archives and History Library on Aug. 16

Aug. 13, 2018

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charlie Cooper and Billy Joe Peyton will present “Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha” in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. The program will begin at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The 1932 film Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha was found when the Kearse Theater was torn down in 1982. Discovered in the projection booth of the palatial first-run house, this rare community movie was made at the dawn of the sound era in motion pictures.

Cooper, who has recorded sound for many movies, will discuss the film’s director Blundon Wills, a native Charlestonian, and the technology used to make the film through the showing of selected scenes. A local radio producer and disc jockey known as Super-Duper Charlie Cooper, he was named to the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2007.

Peyton, a history professor at West Virginia State University who has used Charleston Beautiful on the Kanawha in his classes, will add his reflections on Charleston locations highlighted in the historic film. He also is an author and authority on Charleston.

Participants may park behind the Culture Center after 5 p.m. on Aug. 16 and enter the building at the back loading dock area. There also is limited handicapped parking available in the new bus turnaround.

For additional information, contact the Archives and History Library at (304) 558-0230.

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Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex to Plant Interpretive Garden on Saturday, May 19 and Saturday, June 2

May 18, 2018

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will be planting its Interpretive Garden this year from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, and Saturday, June 2. The program is free and open to the public.

Guests are invited to plant crops chosen for the garden based on archaeological data and Native American traditions, such as sunflowers, corn, beans, squash and gourds. Each variety has its own unique story. A traditional gardening method of some Native American groups, visitors can plant seeds in small hills of earth using a replica of a prehistoric stone garden hoe. In the museum’s Activity Room, an educational display of seeds, books and other items will be provided courtesy of Marian Meg Phillips, along with activities relating to the Interpretive Garden.

Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility.

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Historic Railroad River Crossings are Topic of Monthly Program at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex on Thursday, April 26

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Daniel L. Frizzi, a member of the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society’s Speaker’s Bureau, will present “Baltimore and Ohio River Crossings: A Tale of Three Bridges” at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville on Thursday, April 26 at 7 p.m. The lecture is part of the Complex’s monthly lecture and film series and is free and open to the public.

Frizzi presents a historic look at how travel and commerce moved across the Ohio River using ferries, steamships, railroading and bridges. His program will cover three railroad bridges that connected West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle with Ohio and places out west. These historic river crossings connected Bellaire, Ohio, with Benwood, W.Va., Martins Ferry, Ohio, with Wheeling, W.Va. and Steubenville, Ohio with Weirton, W.Va.

Frizzi practices law in Bellaire and serves as a trustee of the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society. Printed copies of his presentation and other items will be offered for sale to help support the society and its projects.

For more information about the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society, visit http://www.greatstoneviaduct.org/.

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Wayne Middle School Team One Wins Region 2 History Bowl Tournament

Feb. 14, 2018

BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. – Wayne Middle School Team One, with students Allie Eastham, Levi Gilkerson, Marcus Maynard and Baylee Parsons, won the West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s Region 2 tournament for the 2018 West Virginia History Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 10, at Barboursville Middle School in Barboursville, Cabell County. Wayne Middle School Team Two, with students Caelen Adkins, Maya Moser, Grace Thompson and Bryce Wolfe-Browning, was the runner-up.

Region 2 is made up of students from Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo and Wayne counties. Competitors included teams from Barboursville Middle School (two teams), Barboursville, Cabell County; Duval Middle School (two teams), Griffithsville, Lincoln County; Logan Middle School (two teams), Logan, Logan County; Our Lady of Fatima School (one team), Huntington, Cabell County; Wayne Middle School (two teams), Wayne, Wayne County; and Williamson PK-8 (two teams), Williamson, Mingo County.

The West Virginia History Bowl features questions compiled by the staff of Archives and History about the state’s architecture, arts, culture, geography, government, history, people, literature and sports.

The Archives and History staff has developed more than 2,000 questions for its online Quick Quizzes. Teams that are preparing for the History Bowl tournaments may use the Archives and History Daily Trivia and Quick Quizzes as helpful tools from the division’s website, www.wvculture.org/history.

Eighth graders in public, private and homeschool education programs are eligible to compete on the four-person teams in double-elimination tournament play. The regional winners and runner-up teams from each RESA district will then advance to the state tournament, which will take place April 24 at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston.

For more information about the annual competition, contact Matt McGrew, History Bowl coordinator, at (304) 558-0230 or [email protected].

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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INCOME PRODUCING/COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT CHANGE

"On October 17, 2017 the West Virginia Legislature voted to increase the Income Producing/commercial rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25%. The State Historic Preservation Office is currently working to update information and instructions on the program. Please contact Jennifer Brennan - (304)558-0240, ext. 138, Tax Credit Coordinator, regarding the changes to the program."

West Virginia State Museum Announces New Saturday Family Programs

Oct. 10, 2017

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) invites families to visit the West Virginia State Museum at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston for special activities each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the history of our state and participate in some classic games. Each Saturday of the month will have a special theme. All programs will take place in the museum education room and are free and open to the public.

First Saturday of the Month: Marbles
Dust off your marbles or just use ours. Come in and learn to play, practice or challenge someone to a game. While you are here, don’t forget to sign up for the annual A. James Manchin Memorial Mable Tournament coming up in April.

Second Saturday: Classic Board Games
Bring the whole family, sit down and have fun introducing younger family members to some of the best board games in history, including Life, Sorry, Clue, Risk, Candyland and many more.

Third Saturday: Classic Video Games
Take a step back in time to play the games that started it all. Pac Man, Qubert and Pong among others. Challenge your kids to beat your top score – if they can.

Fourth Saturday: Trivia Day
Bring your family in to play fun family-friendly trivia. We will ask questions that test your knowledge of everything from sports, movies, famous people and television. Prizes for winning teams and new questions each month.

Fifth Saturday: Card Games
We bring out decks of cards for everyone to play family-friendly games. Learn to play Spades, Hearts and Rummy or tackle Uno, War and Go Fish!

For more information about the Saturday programs at the West Virginia State Museum, contact Chris Reed, museum education specialist for the division, at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 or [email protected].

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is proud to be able to present its programs at no charge to the public but without a solution to the state’s budget situation, this could be the last year that programs of this type could be offered. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. It brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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CERF+ relief assistance

June 29, 2016

CERF+ would like to make sure that any professional artist working in a craft discipline seriously affected by the flooding is aware of the emergency relief assistance available from CERF+.

If, as an artist, you have suffered loss, please contact us when able. If, as an arts organization representative, you know of artists in the disaster areas, or plan to correspond with your artist constituents in the near future, please pass this information on. If there are organizations that directly work with artists in your community that you think we should know about, please send us their contact information.

Direct Assistance to Artists Working in Craft Disciplines

CERF+’s programs include:
?         Grants up to $6,000;
?         No-interest loans up to $9,000;
?         Booth fee waivers at craft shows;
?         Discounts on materials and equipment from suppliers and manufacturers;
?         Assistance with business development through referrals to consultants and other low or no-cost resources

For eligibility requirements and more detailed information, please visit the Emergency Relief section of our website or contact us at:
CERF+
PO Box 838
Montpelier, VT 05601
ph: (802) 229-2306
fx: (802) 223-6484
[email protected]
www.craftemergency.org
CERF+ on Facebook

Disaster Recovery Resources for Artists

Studio Protector: Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Information for Artists

The CERF+ Studio Protector website has extensive information and resources designed to help artists and those helping them in the disaster recovery effort, as well as disaster planning resources.
?         Getting help from FEMA and other major relief providers
?         Disaster aid provided by arts related organizations
?         Managing disaster recovery volunteers and volunteering
?         Tips for disaster clean-up
?         Salvage and e-salvage tips
?         Rebounding after a disaster
?         Video interviews with artists who have been through disasters
New York Foundation for the Arts' national artists' emergency resource list in NYFA Source

Stay in Touch with CERF+

We rely on people like you to let us know when an artist has been affected by a disaster. Help us help artists in need by staying in touch with CERF+. Join our mailing list to receive these notices and other CERF+ information aimed at safeguarding and sustaining the careers of craft artists and providing emergency resources that benefit all artists.

Thank you for helping spread the word about CERF+!
Share on Facebook.

Please contact me if you have questions,
Les

Les Snow
Program Manager
[email protected]

West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Offer Grant Aid to Arts, History Organizations Affected by Flooding

June 29, 2016

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Division of Culture and History can offer matching grants between $2,000 and $10,000 to West Virginia nonprofit arts and history organizations whose buildings or collections were impacted by recent flooding.

The Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources Fast Track ADA Emergency Grants provide emergency funds to address damage and the threat of damage or unsafe conditions involving a building or collection. This includes damage to an art or history museum’s infrastructure or sudden failure of equipment that may result in harm to the collections and public safety. Smaller renovation and construction projects needed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act also are eligible.

This program has a rolling deadline, and funds for approved projects are generally available within 6 weeks.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these storms," said Arts Director Renée Margocee, “and we encourage anyone needing assistance to talk to us about how we might be able to help them through these challenging times.”

Funding for the grant program is provided by the West Virginia Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information, contact Debbie Haught, program coordinator, at (304) 558-0240 ext. 714 or [email protected] or visit www.wvculture.org/Arts.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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Three West Virginia Marching Band Directors to be Inducted into West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame

Oct. 17, 2014

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH) will induct the first three members into the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 25. The induction will take place during the awards ceremony at the 3rd Annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field which begins at 10 p.m.

Honorees include Julia Kade of Princeton, Mercer County; Sherry L. Poole of Ripley, Jackson County; and Rhonda E. Smalley of Huntington, Cabell County. The inductees were selected from a list of nominations submitted to the WVDCH.

Kade has been teaching music for more than 35 years, first in Greenbrier County at Crichton Elementary-Junior High School and Rainelle Elementary and Junior High schools, before moving to Princeton in Mercer County and working with students at Oakvale High School, Silver Springs Elementary, Melrose Elementary and Princeton Junior High School. She currently is teaching at Princeton High School. Her bands have received Grand Champion accolades as well as countless top three ratings in the marching band venue.

Poole has been serving the Jackson County education system for 39 years at Ripley Middle School and since 1990 as band director at Ripley High School. She also teaches color guard, piano, guitar and dance. During her tenure as director, the school has been chosen as Honor Band at the Black Walnut Festival three of the last six years and was chosen to perform for the presidential visit in Charleston. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu International Band Director Honorary in 2014 and will be a guest conductor for the 2014 West Virginia University Honor Band Program.

Smalley has spent her 40-year teaching career serving more than 4,000 students in Cabell County. Her bands at Cabell Midland High School won 65 Grand Championships on the state and national level. They won top honors in field shows and parades at the Peach Bowl, the Gator Bowl, the Outback Bowl, the Orange Bowl, Universal Studios and the Toronto International Music Festival. Her concert bands earned superior ratings at the West Virginia Regional Band Festival for 40 straight years. Her award-winning Jazz Band program won many awards on the state and national level. In 2003, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, and in 2007 she was selected for membership in Phi Beta Mu, the international bandmasters’ honorary fraternity. She received a West Virginia Distinguished Mountaineer Award from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in 2011 and Congressman Nick Joe Rahall presented her with the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition on behalf of the U.S. Congress. Currently, Smalley is a member of the Cabell County Board of Education, and is serving as a clinical supervisor at Marshall University where she supervises instrumental music student teachers.

“I am so pleased to induct Julia Kade, Sherry Poole and Rhonda Smalley into the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame. Together they have spent more than 110 years inspiring young students with a love of music and teaching spectacular performance skills that the audience can celebrate and enjoy,” said Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the WVDCH.

There are two categories for the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame. The first is for current band directors in the West Virginia school system with at least five years of experience. The other category is for retired band directors. The majority of their teaching years in either category must have been at the elementary, middle school, junior and high school levels, rather than the college or university level. Nominations should include strengths and accomplishments of the nominees.

An updated performance schedule for the West Virginia Marching Band Invitational is attached.

For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the division, at (304) 558-0220.

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West Virginia State Museum Earns 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Honored as a Top Performing Museum as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel Site

July 8, 2013

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State Museum has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

“TripAdvisor is delighted to celebrate the success of businesses around the globe, which are consistently offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience,” said Alison Copus, vice president of marketing for TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award provides top-performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most – their customers.”

“The State Museum is pleased to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. “It is an honor to receive this accolade, and the fact that we are considered among the top 10 percent of museums in the world recognizes the hard work and dedication to customer service of our fine staff.”

With more than 6,000 artifacts on display and themes that focus on the state’s lands, people and culture, the West Virginia State Museum offers a dynamic look at our state’s history – from prehistoric times to today. The museum offers an innovative education program for students in preschool through 12th grade that features state-of-the art technology and extensive lesson plans for teachers. The museum, founded in 1894, is recognized as one of the premier institutions in the United States and includes a collection of more than 60,000 pieces.

TripAdvisor is one of the world’s largest travel sites, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 200 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 100 million reviews and opinions.

To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the past 12 months.

For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, at (304) 558-0220 or at [email protected]

The West Virginia State Museum, located in the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org.

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West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

June 25, 2013

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is announcing new public hours of operation for Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville, Museum in the Park in Logan, West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling, and the West Virginia State Museum and Culture Center in Charleston.

Effective July 1, Grave Creek Mound, Museum in the Park, West Virginia Independence Hall and the West Virginia State Museum will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. They will be closed on Sunday and Monday.

The Culture Center will continue to be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday to serve Archives Library patrons, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It will be closed on Sunday.

For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the Division, at (304) 558-0220.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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West Virginia Division of Culture and History Introduces New State Museum App

March 22, 2013

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia State Museum is going social and introducing a new app that gives smartphone and tablet users the ability to get the latest information on programs and services at the state museum just the way they like it: easy, fast and current. The app is a free download available in the Apple and Google App stores.

The home page provides the options available. Discovery Room features videos of the 26 discovery rooms in the museum and a touring map of the museum. Fact Finder has West Virginia history quizzes for beginners and pros alike. News and Social posts notices on programs and upcoming activities and Get Me There will direct users to the museum and a selection of historic communities across the state. ScanMe is a special option for museum visitors that provides extended information on selected artifacts using quick response codes. Contact Usprovides users with several ways to communicate with the museum: mail, email, Facebook and Twitter.

To download the new app, go to the App Store and search for WVSM or West Virginia Museum.

For more information, contact Rachel Moses, cultural program specialist, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 127.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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Blair Mountain information The Blair Mountain Battlefield National Register nomination was approved by the WV Archives and History Commission on February 22, 2008, and subsequently forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register.

According to 36 CFR 60.6, private property owners have the right to object to listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It is the responsibility of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to count all notarized objections from owners of property within the boundaries of the Blair Mountain Battlefield. Prior to listing, the SHPO noted that there were 57 property owners within the boundaries, 22 of whom objected.

If a majority of property owners object, the property cannot be listed in the NRHP. However, the property can be “determined eligible” for listing. Properties that are either listed in or determined eligible for listing in the NRHP are considered historic and adverse effects of state and federal undertakings must be taken into consideration.

The NPS received a letter dated February 27, 2009, from JacksonKelly Attorneys at Law, PLLC requesting an extension of time for substantive review. This letter included nine attachments. The SHPO received the contents of this letter on March 13. The letter stated that there was one additional objection. SHPO staff understood this to mean that only one new objection had been received since its last packet of objections received March 2008.

The Blair Mountain Battlefield was listed in the NRHP on March 30, 2009. Following listing, the SHPO realized that eight additional objections, received in the attachments to the above mentioned letter, had not been considered.

In a letter dated April 6, 2009, the SHPO alerted the Keeper of the NRHP that there may have been an error in calculating the property owner objections due to this oversight. The State has not petitioned the Keeper for removal of the Blair Mountain Battlefield from the National Register in accordance with 36 CFR 60.15.

This was a clerical error of the SHPO. Due to this error, immediate steps have been taken to ensure this does not occur again. Neither Governor Manchin’s office, nor his administration, is responsible for listing or delisting National Register nominations. That is the responsibility of the Keeper of the National Register, a program of the National Park Service.

Applications for the 2022-2023 round of grants from the Records Management and Preservation Board are now available

West Virginia's new highway historical marker book is now available

The Records Management and Preservation Board awarded $349,360 in grants to 37 West Virginia counties

Check out our new Doc of the Day!

Photo Gallery Updated

Check out our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and YouTube Music pages.

Back By Popular Demand! Check out our Pic of the Week.

View recent donations to the West Virginia State Archives.

CERF+ relief assistance

West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Offer Grant Aid to Arts, History Organizations Affected by Flooding

Arts Alive

http://wvde.state.wv.us/arts-alive/

Arts Alive Mission Statement

Arts Alive is West Virginia Department of Education's annual event to showcase outstanding arts education programs and student achievements in public schools. The work included in Arts Alive is selected from state arts conferences and festivals throughout West Virginia, a competitive submission process, and/or by invitation. In its eighth year, Arts Alive 2014 has expanded collaborations and interdisciplinary partnerships to include work from the following areas: Dance, Music, Pre-Kindergarten, Science in the Arts, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Students perform and exhibit work before an audience of students, family members, educators, policy makers, leaders, advocates, and philanthropists.
Arts Alive aims to support developing and established arts programs in public schools throughout West Virginia; inspire local education systems to embrace the arts as an essential part of every child's education; and empower the broader learning community to advocate for comprehensive arts education in public schools.
Arts Alive is dedicated to arts education in West Virginia and remains committed to providing a venue where the arts are paramount and the work of young artists is celebrated.

Renée Margocee
Director of Arts
West Virginia Division of Culture and History
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, West Virginia 25305
(304) 558-0240

NEW grant appications and guidlines information

The National Endowment for the Arts' Office of Research & Analysis announces that grant application guidelines are available for Research: Art Works. This program supports research that investigates the value of the U.S. arts ecosystem and the impact of the arts, either as individual components within the U.S. arts ecology or as they interact with each other and/or with other domains of American life.

The NEA encourages applications from diverse research fields (e.g., sociology, economics, anthropology, psychology, medicine and health, education, communications, and urban and regional planning) in addition to projects that address a diverse array of topics concerning the value and/or impact of the arts. Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes may apply. This may include, but is not limited to, colleges and universities.

The NEA anticipates awarding up to 25 grants in the range of $10,000 to $30,000. The deadline for application submission is Nov. 5, 2013 and projects can begin as early as May 1, 2014.

This year, there have been several major changes to the Research: Art Works grant program:

•     Priority is given to applications that present theory-driven research questions and methodologies that will yield important information about the value and/or impact of the arts.
•     The 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and the 2012 General Social Survey's Arts Supplement are cited as secondary data sources of special interest to the NEA.
•     Primary data collection is now an eligible activity type. Those projects may be of three years in duration. Other projects now may be of two years in duration.
•     New sections of the guidelines address the responsible conduct of research, and data management and sharing. There is a corresponding review criterion about applicants’ data management plans.
•     Grants require a match and indirect costs are allowed.

The NEA will hold an informational webinar for potential applicants on Sept. 18, 2013. More information is forthcoming.

For grant application information and guidelines, please go to http://arts.gov/grants/apply/Research.html

To see project descriptions of the grants awarded in previous years of Research: Art Works, click here.

To see samples of previous successful applications, please click here, and choose "Sample Application Narratives – Research".

If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected].

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

The Artomatic@Jefferson event

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A Cohort Study of Arts Participation and Academic Performance

Every Leader is an Artist

A Curtain Rises, Gently, on Autism-Friendly Shows on Broadway

For Theater Patrons, the Whispers can be deafening Copyright 2012, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved

"Why are those people annoyed with me?" the older gentleman asked his wife in a loud stage whisper.

She wasn't sure, but I was sitting in front of them at the Lansburgh Theatre, and I confess I was one of several people shooting that poor couple dirty looks. They were fiddling with earphones issued by the Shakespeare Theatre Company for "Krapp's Last Tape," performed by British star John Hurt. The theater was full, the show a very quiet solo piece by Samuel Beckett.

It lasted a scant hour, and the couple spent nearly all that time trying to get the earphones to function. Several times the earphones actually squeaked at such a high pitch that other earphones around the theater squeaked in sympathy. It was such a tooth-achingly piercing sound that I fully expected stray dogs to wander in.

That couple had to have been longtime theater lovers. They weren't the kind of philistines who think it's okay to check e-mails, texts and tweets during a show. Nor were they paper rustlers.

And here I must briefly digress: Rustling noises, as when you unwrap hard candies during a show travel forward, driving the people sitting in front of you nuts. The same goes for people who like to roll their playbills into a tube, and then twist them around and tap them on their knees. On the other hand, the glowing light from smartphones drives the people next to and behind you nuts. Those devices pull audience members out of the play against their will.

But back to the earphones. What occurred that night at the Lansburgh was an extreme example of a common situation. I've been to matinees at one suburban theater where it was well into the first act before patrons using earphones got them to work. Ten to 20 minutes of loudly whispered, "Can you hear yours? Mine isn't working!"

So I have a modest proposal for theater managers: During that pre-show announcement, after you've exhorted people to turn off their cellphones and unwrap their candies, why not take another minute and say, "Now we're going to test the earphones for patrons using them tonight. Please turn them on now, and we will play a recording so that you can set your volume. Raise your hand if your earphones don't seem to work, and an usher will assist you and replace them if necessary. Remember to remove hearing aids and turn them off, so they don't interfere with the earphones. Thank you. The test will start now."

Newer technologies may soon make all this fuss unnecessary, but until then ... Can you hear me now?

Horwitz is a freelance writer.

BAF Receives Benedum Arts-in-Education Grant

The Beckley Area Foundation has received a $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. These funds are to be used for a specific arts-in-education initiative.
BAF will provide a special grant opportunity for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) projects: teaching and learning that integrates the arts into one or more of the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math).
The Foundation has enlisted the assistance of the Arts Section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History in administering this exciting opportunity. STEAM education is a cutting edge approach to teaching and learning that fosters innovation, creative problem solving, flexible thinking, and risk taking – necessary skills of leaders in our rapidly changing global economy.
On Wednesday, May 9th, 2:00 p.m., in the Conference Center at Tamarack, there will be an informational meeting for teachers, school and organization representatives, and other interested parties who would like to know about the application process. BAF plans to award at least ten $5,000 grants, or more if there are approved requests for less than $5,000.
“We are trying to reach area arts organizations, artists and teachers regarding this exciting opportunity,” commented Susan Landis, executive director of BAF, as well as chair of the WV Commission on the Arts. “We know that there are many creative people who can implement wonderful projects with these grants.”
Educators in the fields of math, science, technology and engineering as well as those involved in performance and visual arts are encouraged to attend the May 9th meeting. Collaborative applications will be welcomed. Creativity and innovation are expected.
Applicants for these grants must be schools or organizations holding a 501-c-3 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Applications will be accepted from the BAF service area including Raleigh, Webster, Wyoming, McDowell and southern Fayette Counties.
BAF is branding this initiative as Full STEAM Ahead. Through this special opportunity, schools and organizations can create projects that intersect “A” (the arts) with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) thus helping West Virginia be a leader in a new economy.

Contact the Beckley Area Foundation if you have questions about the informational meeting, 304-253-3806 or [email protected].

Take a Seat

Getting tickets for the big game or concert shouldn't be a hassle for wheelchair users. New rules are helping to ease the pain.

So, there is a fabulous new stadium in town and the team looks good this year-—you’d best move fast to get good seats. Every year, a new sports season offers new opportunities for fun and (if things go right) a winning team. Are you going to be able to enjoy it?

Most new ballparks, arenas, and stadiums are being built according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and offer accessible seating throughout the facility. A few design and architecture firms specialize in large sport facilities and have learned along the way what works, mostly by including people with disabilities in the planning process. But even the most accessible facility doesn’t mean you’ll be able to enjoy the game or show.

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) members and other wheelchair users have struggled for years to be able to buy accessible seats in theaters, stadiums, arenas, etc. They generally must call a different number and wait for a return call or e-mail, and only rarely is it possible to buy a ticket for an accessible seat online. (Ticketmaster for years didn’t sell accessible seats and changed its policy only when the Department of Justice [DOJ] investigated and settled with them.) When it comes to season tickets, playoff games, or concerts that sell out fast, the problem becomes even more complex.

Twenty years after ADA, when DOJ issued its revised final regulations in September 2010, one of the most critical revisions was in the area of ticket sales. DOJ stated its existing regulations required that all ticketing options available to the general public likewise are available to people with disabilities. While this may have been the requirement, many facilities were making up their own rules.

For instance, the University of Oklahoma (Norman) wouldn’t allow a season ticket holder who needed wheelchair-accessible seating to purchase a particular seat. He was required to purchase a regular-season ticket to be exchanged on game day for an accessible location. On the member’s behalf, PVA filed a formal complaint with the Department of Education, starting a lengthy investigation that continues more than six years later (OU recently reported to PVA it is working to resolve this problem).

DOJ’s regulations apply to Title II and Title III entities such as state, local, and private facilities. These range from neighborhood theaters to 100,000-seat football stadiums; from single-event tickets to season tickets; and from dignified operas to screaming mosh pits.

Ticket sales must now be available to patrons with disabilities during the same hours, at the same prices, under the same terms, and by the same methods the general public can buy. If a third party such as Ticketmaster is involved, it must follow the same rules as the venue itself. Even discount or half-price ticket sellers must sell tickets for accessible seats (if any exist at the time of sale).

Click the More Info button below to read the full story...

CALL FOR ENTRIES - Pricketts Fort: Through Artists' Eyes 2012 Prospectus

PURPOSE
Pricketts Fort: Through Artists' Eyes invites entries for a juried art exhibit. This show and sale will benefit the foundation's education, programming and preservation efforts. Any artwork that reflects the period, culture, history, people, or landscape of Pricketts Fort and the West Virginia frontier is welcome. Works need not be representational, but should speak to the past, present or future of this place.

ELIGIBILITY
Open to artists of all ages and any two-dimensional media. Artwork must be original and professionally framed and ready for hanging. All works must be for sale and available for display throughout the entire exhibit period. Participating artists will receive 60% of the proceeds of any work sold; the remaining 40% will benefit the work of the Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation.

AWARDS
A cash prize of $200 will be awarded for First Place, $100 for Second Place and $50 for Third Place.

JUROR Stephen Cassle is an active artist, craftsman, and living historian. He is employed by the Tamarack Foundation as Professional Development Coordinator.

For complete prospectus and entry form see:
http://www.prickettsfort.org/Pricketts%20Fort%20Art%20Prospectus%202012.pdf
Prickett's Fort State Park is located 2 miles off I-79 at exit 139 in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation www.prickettsfort.org (304) 363-3030

All-In: Re-imagining Community Participation Check out APAP's - All-in: Reimagining Community Participation which awards one-year grants of up to $25,000 to presenting organizations in support of promising new approaches to community engagement through the performing arts.

Protecting Collections: Disaster Prevention, Planning & Response

March 27 & May 15, 2012
Huntington, WV
Hosted and co-sponsored by the Huntington Museum of Art

Visit: www.ccaha.org/education/program-calendar for more information.
Can call 215-545-0613 or email [email protected]

National K-12 Computer Safety Contest

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) is conducting its annual, national K-12 Computer Safety Contest to encourage young people to use the Internet safely and securely. The Office of Information Security and Controls, from the West Virginia Office of Technology, is coordinating the State’s first year of participation in this event.

The contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

More information and entry forms may be found at: http://www.technology.wv.gov/security/Pages/Contest.aspx.

The 2012 VSA International Young Soloists Call for Entries is now open!

Since 1984, the VSA International Young Soloists Program has been seeking identify talented young musicians who have a disability. The annual award provides an opportunity for up to four emerging musicians to each earn a $5,000 award, professional development opportunities, and a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

For more information on the program and to apply, please visit www.kennedy-center.org/IYS.

$2,000 to $20,000 grants available to help arts organizations, history museums improve, update facilities

The Kennedy Center seeks nominations for The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards Series of Annual $10,000 Awards Named for Broadway Legend

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seeking nominations for the 2012 Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards – a series of annual grants that recognize inspiring teachers across the United States. The awards were created last year, in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday and were initiated and funded through the generous support of Mr. Sondheim’s friends and education philanthropists Myrna and Freddie Gershon.

Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim frequently attributes his success to the teachers from all subjects in his life. The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards are presented each year on Sondheim’s birthday – March 22 – to a handful of teachers, kindergarten through college, who are nominated via the Kennedy Center website (kennedy-center.org/sondheimteacherawards).

Last year, 11 teachers were recognized from around the nation for their outstanding influence on students. The recipients each received a $10,000 prize and their stories, as told by the nominating student, were featured on a web site dedicated to inspirational teachers.

In many people’s lives there is at least one teacher who inspired them, and helped them become who they are today. These inspirational people are not often recognized for the life changing role they have played. The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards seek to spotlight those teachers and to recognize them publicly for their significant role in society. The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher homepage features leaders and celebrities, including Warren Buffett, Dr. Jill Biden, J. J. Abrams, Bill Bradley and many others describing their favorite teachers and the impact good teachers make on communities and schools.

?"Teachers define us,"? stated Stephen Sondheim "In our early years, when we are still being formed, they often see in us more than we see in ourselves, more even than our families see and, as a result, help us to evolve into what we ultimately become. Good teachers are touchstones to paths of achieving more than we might have otherwise accomplished, in directions we might not have gone."?

Winner of the Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, Stephen Sondheim has received more Tonys® than any other composer. Mr. Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, The Frogs, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park With George (for which he received a Pulitzer Prize), Into the Woods, Assassins, Passion and Road Show, there are five musical revues based entirely on his work). Revues of his work include Sondheim on Sondheim, Side by Side by Sondheim, Marry Me a Little, You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow, and Putting It Together. For films and television, he composed the scores of Stavisky and Reds and wrote songs for Dick Tracy, for which he received an Academy Award, and Evening Primrose. He was also the recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors in 1993. Mr. Sondheim is on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, having served as its president from 1973 to 1981 .In 2010, A new Broadway Theater was named the after him .

To nominate a teacher for the award in any field , please visit kennedycenter.org/sondheimteacherawards. Nomination deadline is December 16, 2011.

Betty Siegel
Director of VSA and Accessibility
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C. 20566
(202) 416-8727
[email protected]

Building the business of art

AEI and West Liberty University partner to create new center

Morgantown WV (June 2011) The Appalachian Education Initiative and West Liberty University are pleased to announce a new partnership which will result in the creation of an arts and education center on the West Liberty campus. The Center will be a collaboration between AEI and the Colleges of Education and Arts and Communication at the University. The Center will provide programs, resources and services for artists, educators, West Liberty students, and others and focus on the arts, education, and the integration of the disciplines. Funding for the Center and the partnership has been provided through a $166,000 grant to West Liberty University from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with West Liberty University," said AEI Executive Director Lou Karas. "This collaboration will not only provide both AEI and West Liberty University with access to new resources, it will also provide opportunities to expand programs and services to support the arts and arts education in West Virginia schools."

Dr. Keely Camden, Dean for the College of Education, and Dr. Bill Baronak, Dean for the College of Arts and Communication at West Liberty University, co-authors with Karas on the grant, are working to involve faculty, staff, students, and the community in this collaborative effort. "We are privileged to be working with Lou Karas and AEI and are most grateful to the Benedum Foundation for their support of this collaboration and center," said Dr. Keely Camden. Many of our faculty, staff, and students are already actively engaged in the planning process, and they are very excited for future projects, grants, and professional development," said Dr. Bill Baronak. The College of Arts and Communication houses programs in Art Education, Music Education, Theater, Digital Media Design, Graphic Design, Broadcasting, Communication Studies, Sports Broadcasting, and Documentary Films. The College of Arts and Communication partners closely with the College of Education on Music and Art Education certification programs. A new proposal for Theater Education with teacher certification is being written for state approval.

AEI will move its office from Morgantown to the West Liberty University campus this summer. The organization will continue its statewide work, including its relationships with the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and VSA, the international organization for the arts and disabilities from its new location.

Planning for the new Center is already underway and will continue through the summer and fall. For more information about the new partnership, contact Ms. Karas at [email protected] or 304-225-010.

About AEI:
The Appalachian Education Initiative (AEI) is an arts education intermediary, serving as an information broker and partnership builder throughout West Virginia. The organization was founded by Jennifer Francis Alkire and her father, Michael Francis, in 2001 to promote the importance of quality arts in the public school curriculum and to provide support to teachers, artists, administrators, parents and others who are working to provide quality arts programs to West Virginia students.

AEI is the West Virginia affiliate of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and a partner with VSA, the international organization for the arts and disabilities. For more information about AEI, go to www.aeiarts.org.

About West Liberty University:
West Liberty University, a public coeducational school and West Virginia's oldest institution of higher education, is situated on 290 hilltop acres in a rural West Virginia setting just an hour from Pittsburgh, PA. A satellite campus, located at The Highlands Shopping Complex, sits just off Interstate 70, minutes from the Pennsylvania and Ohio borders in West Virginia's northern panhandle.

Established in 1837, more than 2,700 students are enrolled. While elementary education and secondary educationare the most selected majors, WLU also provides a variety of other majors including digital media design, hospitality and tourism management, and dental hygiene. With the opening of the newly-built Media Arts Center, West Liberty students now have access to a television studio, recording studio, and digital media labs.

The University consists of five Colleges: Gary E. West College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Arts and Communication, the College of Education, and the College of Science. WLU also offers a graduate program, Arts in Education. For more information about West Liberty University, go to www.westliberty.edu.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Arts in Media Funding Category

The National Endowment for the Arts' new Arts in Media funding category is designed to help make the excellence and diversity of the arts widely available to the American public through the national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts and media projects that can be considered works of art.

The new Arts in Media guidelines replace the Arts on Radio and Television guidelines. All project types that were previously eligible under Arts on Radio and Television remain eligible. In addition, the expanded category now includes all available media platforms, including the Internet, interactive and mobile technologies, digital games, and arts content delivered via satellite, as well as radio and television.

Grants are available to support the development, production, and national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts (e.g., visual arts, music, dance, literature, design, theater, musical theater, opera, folk and traditional arts, and media arts including film, audio, animation, and digital art) and media projects that can be considered works of art.

Projects may include high profile multi-part or single television and radio programs (documentaries and dramatic narratives), media created for theatrical release, performance programs, artistic segments for use within an existing series, multi-part webisodes, installations, and interactive games. Short films, five minutes and under, will be considered in packages of three or more.

The new program guidelines feature an emphasis on innovation as well as strengthening creativity through access to the arts. In order to reach the widest possible audience, priority will be given to projects that include substantive public engagement strategies, including the use of social media.

To be eligible, applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, units of state or local government, or federally recognized tribal communities or tribes. Applications through a fiscal agent are not allowed; however, partnerships between artists and eligible nonprofit organizations are encouraged. Any application for a collaborative project representing a partnership between a media organization and an arts, education, or community organization should be submitted by the media organization.

Grants generally will range from $10,000 to $200,000, based on the platform and the complexity and scope of the project.

Visit the NEA Web site for complete program guidelines, a short video on the new program, and application instructions.

Link to Complete RFP

Mockingbird Foundation Invites Applications for Children's Music Education Program Grants

The Mockingbird Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization created by fans of the rock band Phish, annually provides competitive grants to U.S. nonprofit organizations and public schools for children's music education programs.

The foundation is accepting inquiries for its fifteenth round of competitive grants.

The foundation is particularly interested in projects that encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form (including composition, instrumentation, vocalization, or improvisation), but also recognizes broader and more basic needs within conventional instruction. Mockingbird encourages applications associated with diverse or unusual musical styles, genres, forms, and philosophies.

The foundation is interested in programs targeting children 18 years of age or younger, but will consider projects that benefit college students, teachers, instructors, and adult students. Mockingbird is particularly (though not exclusively) interested in programs that benefit disenfranchised groups, including those with low skill levels, income, or education; with disabilities or terminal illnesses; and in foster homes, shelters, hospitals, prisons, or other remote or isolated situations.

Grants ranging between $100 and $5,000 will be awardedto nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, organizations with an eligible fiscal sponsor, and public schools. In its fourteenth round of funding, the foundation made six new grants totaling $26,300.

Visit the foundation's Web site for complete funding guidelines and grant inquiry procedures.

Link to Complete RFP

The assistive technology project at New River Click here to read the Press Release.

New and Updated Accessibility Resources on the NEA's Website

Maximize your audience potential by ensuring that your facilities and programs are accessible to all!

The National Endowment for the Arts’ Office of Accessibility is pleased to announce a tip sheet and updated resources to help arts and cultural organizations with accessibility and compliance:

• A brand new tip sheet outlining the revised September 2010 regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act that clarify and amend the requirements for ticketing, mobility devices, service animals, and new construction (attached).
• Updated resources, Web links, and contact information in our Design for Accessibility Handbook and Accessibility Planning and Resource Guide for Cultural Administrators.

These resources are located on the The Artists of The Renaissance Gallery

March 21, 2011

This is the propectus and invitation to be in our spring art show. this show is open to all adult artists. Awards are cash and merchandise. If you have any questions, please ask.
I am hoping this will go up as a notice for all the state's artists.
My home phone number is 304-757-3241. I am Sue Tschantz, the event coordinator for the Renaissance Gallery.
The Artists of The Renaissance Gallery

Artist Factory Presents: Tool Box 1.0: Portfolio Development & Resume Fine Tuning

March 8, 2011

Performing Groups:
• Andy Park
• Charleston Stage Company
• Colleen Anderson
• Marshall University

Event Description:
Cost $10
Artist Factory presents Tool Box 1.0: Portfolio Development and Resume Fine Tuning.
Learn the basics of building a successful portfolio. Please bring materials for the portfolio and resume.

Instructors:
Music– Andy Park, President of Local 136, American Federation of Musicians, Kanawha County Teacher
Visual Art – Anthony Smith, MFA Academic Lab Manager, Instructor Marshall University
Theatre– Frieda Forsley, Creative Director of Charleston Stage Company
Literary– Colleen Anderson, Creative writer, Designer and Musician

Computers and wireless is available.
SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTRATION REQUIRED [email protected]

More information at www.artskv.org

AEI Begins Partnership with VSA

Morgantown WV (February 2011) The Appalachian Education Initiative is pleased to announce a new partnership with VSA, the international organization on arts and disability. This collaboration will provide AEI with greater access to resources, information and funding for including people with disabilities in the arts. Funding is made possible through the national office of VSA, and is supported in large part by the U.S. Department of Education. AEI will now begin the process of re-establishing VSA programs and services in West Virginia.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with VSA," said AEI Executive Director Lou Karas. "Their priority areas of Education Programs, Professional Development, Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services, and Public Awareness and Outreach are complementary to AEI's work to support the arts and arts education in West Virginia schools."

Over the coming year, AEI will form a VSA West Virginia Advisory Committee, conduct several needs assessments, and identify potential partners throughout the state. In addition, AEI will integrate VSA information and resources into its existing programs, resources and services.

For more information about AEI and VSA, contact Karas at [email protected] or 304-225-0101.

Press Release

FY2012 Arts in Education Applicants

The following changes have been made to the AIE application process:

• Since the WVCA encourages life-long learning for artists, student artists who have an artistic resume outside of their school work and who are not receiving academic credit should be eligible for funding.
• Requests for projects occurring outside of school should not require direct connection to CSOs as long as learning objectives are clear.

The application available online does not reflect these changes, but your panel will be advised accordingly.

If you have any questions about these changes, contact the AIE Coordinator, Cicely Bosley at [email protected] or 304-558-0240

Poetry, Painting to earn an MD

The course list for medical students can be brutal, including old standbys like gross anatomy, cell biology and organic chemistry. Now, aspiring doctors can add to that poetry and painting.

Medical schools are placing a growing emphasis on the humanities, including courses in writing, art and literature. The programs aim to teach students "right-brain" insights and skills they won't learn dissecting cadavers or studying pathology slides. Schools hope the programs help to turn out a new generation of physicians better able to listen attentively to patients, show emotion and provide sensitive personal care.

At Brown University's medical school, a reflective-writing program assesses students' ability to express feelings about experiences such as witnessing their first death or dealing with a difficult patient. A humanities track at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine requires students to submit creative works or review submissions to a new literary journal, "The Examined Life." New York University School of Medicine launched a division of medical humanities last month offering a wide range of arts programs to foster appreciation for the human aspects of medicine. It showcases student works in "Agora," an arts journal.

For more Information Click Here.

State gets start on 2012 wildlife calendar

January 20, 2011

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It may seem a bit early, but the state Division of Natural Resources is starting on its 2012 wildlife calendar. The agency's Wildlife Resources Section says the deadline for submissions for 2012 is Feb. 15. The agency wants a high resolution electronic image or a 35-mm color slide of each entry. Artists are allowed to submit more than one entry. The idea is to depict popular game and fish species or the state's diverse array of wildlife. Paintings of snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, small mammals as well as non-game fish are also encouraged.

The state pays a $100 prize for monthly paintings and $500 for the cover.

By The Associated Press

The Accessible Recreation Guide for West Virginia including Arts and Cultural Organizations.

Statewide “Poetry Out Loud” competition announced

West Virginia Division of Culture and History awards 15 Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources grants

New program to recognize student artists Appalachian Education Initiative, Chesapeake Energy partner on project

Morgantown WV (October 13, 2010) The Appalachian Education Initiative (www.aeiarts.org) and Chesapeake Energy (www.chk.com) are teaming up to recognize West Virginia public high school juniors and seniors who excel in school arts programs and demonstrate leadership and excellence in other education and community activities. The new Student Artist of the Month program begins this month and continues through the school year.

“One of our primary goals at AEI is to increase awareness of the importance and value that arts education brings to our public school students,” said Lou Karas, AEI executive director. “We are pleased that Chesapeake Energy chose to partner with us and help us emphasize that arts programs are a necessary component of public education for all students. Children who participate in the arts learn creativity and self confidence that will enhance their lives no matter what career path they choose.”

“It is appropriate that we introduce our program this month because October is National Arts and Humanities Month,” said Jack Thompson, public relations coordinator for Chesapeake Energy. “While our business deals with exacting calculations and science, we know very well that employees who are creative and skilled in the critical thinking processes that they learn through the arts are some of our very best.”

Each month AEI and Chesapeake Energy will select one student from those who are nominated. That student will be featured on the AEI web site along with photos and an interview. All of the students will be recognized in the spring at a special awards luncheon, hosted by Chesapeake Energy.

To be nominated for the recognition, a student must meet five criteria, according to Karas. A student must: • Be a junior or senior attending a West Virginia public school
• Participate on an ongoing basis in a visual or performing arts program and have mastered that art or progressed in the field as a result of school-related activities
• Be in good academic standing
• Participate in other extracurricular activities or community activities that do not have to be arts related
• Demonstrate leadership skills
Students may be nominated by school personnel and community members by completing the nomination form on the AEI web site, www.aeiarts.org or via www.surveymonkey.com/s/student-artist. Print copies of the nomination form are available by contacting Karas via Email or calling 304-225-0101.

Lou Karas
Executive Director
Appalachian Education Initiative
111 High Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
304/225-0101
Email
www.aeiarts.org

National Endowment for the Arts Announces Beth Bienvenu as the New Director of the Office of Accessibility

Washington, D.C. - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today that Beth Bienvenu will join the NEA as the new director of the Office of Accessibility. Dr. Bienvenu will manage the NEA’s technical assistance and advocacy work devoted to making the arts accessible for people with disabilities, older adults including veterans, and people living in institutions. This includes initiatives related to universal design, arts and aging, arts in healthcare, and careers in the arts for people with disabilities. She will begin her work today.

Prior to coming to the NEA, Ms. Bienvenu worked for five years as a policy advisor with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment Policy. In that capacity, she analyzed federal laws and regulations, as well as public and private sector policies and practices related to all elements of employment for persons with disabilities. She created and delivered training sessions on recruiting, hiring, accommodating, and retaining individuals with disabilities and developed partnerships with other federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business on behalf on those constituents.

In addition, since August 2005, Ms. Bienvenu was an adjunct professor at George Mason University teaching arts policy in the Master of Arts Management program.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Bienvenu to the NEA,” said Chairman Rocco Landesman. “Her achievements and commitment on behalf of people with disabilities are significant and the relationships she has developed with other federal agencies and organizations will be particularly important as we forge ahead with this work.”

Ms. Bienvenu said, “I look forward to working with the NEA staff and constituents in the field to ensure that everyone can participate in arts programs as audience members, participants, artists, or performers. I am honored to continue the Accessibility Office’s excellent work in helping arts organizations become fully accessible, bringing the arts to underrepresented groups, and ensuring that these groups are served by NEA programs.”

From 2000-2005, Ms. Bienvenu was a senior associate with TATC Consulting, a Washington DC-based firm providing management consulting services. One of her projects with TATC was to work with the Institute for Museum and Library Services, DOL, and the NEA on youth employment programs with arts organizations and libraries. Also, she has been a consultant with the Center for Nonprofit Management in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and program coordinator with the University of Oklahoma’s Advanced Programs, Europe.

Ms. Bienvenu has a B.A. in Sociology and Music from Alma College in Alma, Michigan; M.A. in Sociology from Indiana University; M.A. in Arts Administration from Indiana University; and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the University of Oklahoma, Norman.

Ms. Bienvenu replaces Paula Terry who has served at the NEA since 1979 on behalf of populations often isolated from full participation in the arts. Ms. Terry has established leadership initiatives in Creativity and Aging, Universal Design, Careers in the Arts for Individuals with Disabilities, Arts in Healthcare, and Arts in Corrections. Under her leadership the Accessibility Office has helped form a nationwide network of accessibility coordinators in state and regional arts agencies and has produced a variety of reports and technical assistance materials for the field. In recognition of her accomplishments, the NEA has garnered national honors including the 1998 Universal Design Award, a 2002 award from the National Business & Disability Council. In 2006, the NEA was recognized for excellence in accessibility leadership by the Christopher Reeve Foundation and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

For more information on the NEA’s accessibility programs and publications, please visit arts.gov

Professional Development for Teachers

The Kennedy Center offers professional development resources for teachers. Available on DVD or VHS: Living Pictures: A Theatrical Technique for Learning Across the Curriculum, which explores how tableau can be integrated with history, literature, or visual art; and Words Alive: Building Vocabulary and Stimulating Writing, which demonstrates multi-sensory activities to help students improve both their vocabularies and their writing skills.

Visit: www.kennedy-center.org/education/pdot/livingpictures and www.kennedy-center.org/education/ceta/wordsalive.html

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman Announces $300,000 for 20 Literature Translation Fellowships

September 8, 2010

Since 1981, the NEA has awarded 323 Fellowships for works in 61 languages from 71 countries.
Washington, DC — NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman today announced $300,000 in 20 literary fellowships to support the translation of works into English. Available to previously published literary translators for specific projects, many of these fellowships will result in the first English translation of outstanding works of international literature. This year’s projects vary from the ancient to the contemporary, involving works in 13 different languages from 17 countries ranging from novels and poetry to memoirs and myths:

Esther Allen (Spanish) for Zama, a 1956 novel by Argentine writer Antonio Di Benedetto
Robert Bononno (French) for The Mysteries of Paris by novelist Eugène Sue Sean Cotter (Romanian) for Belgrade in Five Friends and Other Poems by Nichita Stanescu
Bill Coyle (Swedish) for a collection of contemporary poetry by Håkan Sandell
Anne O. Fisher (Russian) for The Joyous Science: The Selected Poetry of Maxim Amelin
Dick Gerdes (Spanish) for the Mexican novel Península, Península by Hernán Lara Zavala,br> Jason Grunebaum (Hindi) for Manzoor Ahtesham’s novel The Tale of the Missing Man
Joshua Halberstam (Yiddish) for Chassidim Re-tell, a collection of Chassidic tales by Rabbi Tovia Halberstam
Yasmeen S. Hanoosh (Arabic) for Closing His Eyes, a collection of short stories by Iraqi writer and critic Luay Hamza Abbas
Deborah Hoffman (Russian) for Eufrosinia Kersnovskaia’s memoir How Much Is a Person Worth?
Edward Gauvin (French) for Fear of the First Line, selected stories from Belgian writer Bernard Quiriny
Tsipi Keller (Hebrew) for Reality Crumbs, a collection of Raquel Chalfi’s poetry
Myung-Hee Kim (Korean) for Steel and Flesh: Korean Stories 1945-48, an anthology of prose from North and South Korea
Elizabeth Novickas (Lithuanian) for Petras Cvirka’s 1934 novel Frank Kruk
Aaron Poochigian (Ancient Greek) for the epic 6,000-line poem “Argonautika” by Apollonius of Rhodes
Jessica Powell (Spanish) for Woman in Battle Dress, a historical novel by Cuban writer Antonio Benítez Rojo
John Galbraith Simmons (French) for Marquis de Sade’s novel Aline and Valcour
Clare Sullivan (Spanish/Zapotec) for Black Olive Tree and Other Zapotec Poems by Mexican poet Natalia Toledo
John Taylor (French) for Paper Collage, a collection of essays by Georges Perros
Kelly Washbourne (Spanish) for Legends of Guatemala, a collection of eight tales and myths by Nobel Laureate Miguel Ángel Asturias

Complete descriptions of each funded project are available at arts.gov.

“Translation brings works of literature to new audiences, and translation is, itself, an art,” said NEA Chairman Landesman. “These 20 projects will bring new words and the worlds they describe to American audiences. We are proud of the NEA’s 30-year history of investing in literary translation.”

Former NEA Translation Fellow (2009) Charlotte Mandell said, “My translation of Mathias Énard’s French novel Zone would never have been possible without the grant I received from the NEA, since that was my sole source of income when I was working on Zone. Imagine our literary canon without Proust or Flaubert or Balzac in English—how much poorer we would be culturally and intellectually. Without the NEA, many of the books that could become classics in the future—Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 comes to mind—would not be published at all in English.” The recipients of the National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships will receive either $12,500 or $25,000 depending on the scope and merit of their projects. (The amount of the awards is pending Congressional approval of the NEA’s fiscal year 2011 budget.)

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation's largest annual national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

Contact: Liz Stark, 202-682-5744, [email protected].

Embracing Our Differences

July 13, 2010

Embracing Our Differences invites artists, photographers, professionals, amateurs, teachers and students to participate in its 8th annual visual art exhibit celebrating diversity. National and international submissions are encouraged. 45 artists will be selected for the exhibit. The Embracing Our Differences exhibit will be displayed throughout the months of April and May 2011 at Island Park along Sarasota’s beautiful bayfront. Since 2004, the exhibit has been viewed by more than 850,000 visitors. The exhibit will contain 39 billboard-sized (16 feet wide by 12 1/2 feet high) images of the selected artworks. In the judges’ discretion, an additional six “honorable mention” selections may be made.

Final selections will be chosen based on artistic excellence in reflection of the theme “Embracing Our Differences”. The art-work will also be evaluated on how effectively it will read outdoors when enlarged to billboard size – 16 feet wide by 12 1/2 feet high. Artists are encouraged to use bold saturated colors and strong lines. Final selections will be made by a 3-judge panel of professional artists, curators and art professionals. A total of $3,000.00 in awards will be presented.

Deadline for submission is January 10, 2011. There is no submission fee nor limit on the number of entries.

Submission forms and more information concerning past winning submissions are available at www.EmbracingOurDifferences.org or by emailing [email protected].

The Ford Foudation is calling for proposals for “Space for Change” planning and pre-development grants

Kennedy Center president gives advice to W.Va. arts groups

West Virginia Division of Culture and History announces Poetry Out Loud contest winner

State legislative leadership award winners announced at Governor’s Arts Awards

Lynn Boggess receives Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, Seven artists and arts organizations receive Governor’s Arts Awards for 2010

West Virginia Division of Culture and History posts new Artist Roster on-line

PHOTO, POETRY, ILLUSTRATIONS AND SHORT STORY CONTEST BY FERR-MAR PRODUCTIONS

For information: Stephanie Ferrell, FerrMar Productions, (304) 205-5327

PHOTO, POETRY, ILLUSTRATIONS AND SHORT STORY CONTEST BY FERR-MAR PRODUCTIONS

January 28, 2010 – Charleston, WV -- FerrMar Productions is publishing an anthology called Return to Rural America by Stephanie Rene Ferrell of Charleston, West Virginia. After having been born and raised in Appalachia, then spending nearly 16 years in New York City and other big city life, she returned to live in rural America. This visual story will highlight the culture, the people and the aesthetic qualities of rural America. FerrMar is holding a competition to anyone who has photographs, poetry, illustrations and short stories to enter, which could possibly result in being published in this anthology or subsequent ones. The cost to enter is $5.00 per entry. There is no limit to the amount of entries one person can submit. Checks or money orders should be made payable to: Steph F Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a FerrMar Productions, and mailed to: 343 Campbells Creek Drive, Charleston, WV 25306. For inquiries, e-mail [email protected].

Currently, Stephanie has 121 photos of her own in this collection; each photo has its own story. Poetry, recipes, illustrations, quotes, and other elements will be part of the anthology, but the focus will be the photography and respective short stories telling about that particular photography and the cultural history and beauty behind it.

Even in distressed towns and counties there are always some beauty or some wonderful cultural history or landmarks that deserve their own stories. Some of these places may never have been documented before. This Return to Rural America project began in 1995 and is not purely dedicated to Appalachia, because it has rural pictures and aspects from other areas, such as the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, the Carolinas, Florida and other rural places. The initiative here is to dedicate this anthology to those rural communities and people so that they can gain the attention and appreciation that they so well deserve.

Typically in rural America there are financially distressed people who are amongst state and national poverty levels. But that does not mean that they aren’t rich in other ways and proud of their homeland. Their life is simple and they do not have the money for luxuries but they make do. They are crafty, hardworking and very important people that should be recognized. Most of these people refuse to allow the collapse of rural America because in the beginning of America, that was all that people had – the rural American tools that some of them still use today.

The following verse from the New Testament of the Holy Bible states: "The husbandman that laboreth must be the first partaker of the fruits." 1 Timothy 5:18. Rural American people are the “husbandry” of our nation. That’s the story this publication plans to tell.

Peoples Bancorp Foundation Offers Community Grants in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky

President Obama announces opportunities for arts participation in 2009 through his United We Serve program

Listening for a Change: Oral History and Appalachian Heritage

West Virginia Division of Culture and History announces Poetry Out Loud contest winner for 2009

News from the National Endowment for the Arts

Help us help you! The Arts Section is looking for feedback to help us be better responsive to the needs of our constituents. Please take a few moments to fill out the HELP US HELP YOU! survey. Candid responses are appreciated.

William Davis honored with Governor's Arts Award for lifetime achievement

Accessibility Mini-Grants from Ohio River Border Initiative The Ohio River Border Initiative now has Accessibility Mini-Grants available at www.orbi.org. Applications will be accepted beginning April 1, 2008. Grants up to $1000 for counties that border Ohio.

For more information visit www.orbi.org or email Bill Howley at [email protected]. Phone 304-655-8255.

Arts section of Division of Culture and History offers new e-mail service 2/20/2007

The arts section of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History is offering a new e-mail service available through its office. The new service is designed to provide periodic e-mail messages with deadline dates for all its grants and regional information that may be of interest. In addition, the service will allow the arts section to send information and announcements about specific grants as well as resource advice to assist applicants.

Anyone interested in being placed on this arts database should send an e-mail message to [email protected], including name, mailing address, position/discipline, organization, grants of specific interest to you or your organization, grants you have applied for in the past, and any additional pertinent information indicating your interest in the arts. E-mail addresses will not be shared with any other database service, including spam, mass marketing campaigns or other organizations.

Specific questions about grants and applications should continue to be directed to the individual grant coordinators: Barbie Anderson, grants coordinator; Debbie Rainey Haught, community arts coordinator; Gregg McAllister, arts in education and mini grant coordinator; Rose McDonough, cultural facilities and accessibility coordinator; and Jeff Pierson, individual arts coordinator.

For more information or to reach the arts section, call (304) 558-0240.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the state capitol complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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We are always looking for professional teaching artists

Literary map of WV featuring 138 authors and original art.

Poets & Writers Magazine announces state and national prizes in writing

Local Writers' Groups in West Virginia

Arts and Crafts Industry contributes $54.5 million to West Virginia economy ARTS & CRAFTS INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES $54.5 MILLION ANNUALLY TO STATE ECONOMY Results of Ground-breaking Study Demonstrate Significance of Industry Charleston, W.Va. – The results of a recent study into the economic impact of the arts and crafts industry show that more than $54 million is contributed to the state economy each year through the sale of arts and crafts in West Virginia. The study, sponsored by six state arts and crafts organizations and the Small Business Development Division of the West Virginia Development Office, is the first of its kind to measure the arts and crafts industry in West Virginia. (study highlights) Modeled on the 2001 CODA Survey: The Impact of Crafts on the National Economy, the West Virginia study queried some 2,539 artists and craftspeople in the state about their overall sales, income, studio situations and needs. The findings will be used to demonstrate the significance of the industry as a means of earning a living for thousands of West Virignia residents and lend

www.artsaction.org - Take action for a quality arts education.

INCOME PRODUCING/COMMERCIAL REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT CHANGE

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Invites Quilters to Make Handmade Squares for a West Virginia Statehood Sesquicentennial Quilt

Section 106 Digital Submission Policy (PDF)

Cemeteries and the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office

Guidelines for Phase I, II, and III Archaeological Investigations and Technical Report Preparation

West Virginia's County Courthouses - photos and text from the 2003 calendar are online

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex Announces September Programs

Annual Quilt and Wall Hanging Exhibition on Display at the Culture Center

Juried Exhibition Artists Announced West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Host Exhibition Opening at Art Museum of WVU

West Virginia State Museum Announces New Saturday Family Programs

West Virginia Division of Culture and History to Participate in Blue Star Museums http://www.wvculture.org/news.aspx?Agency=Division&Id=3023

West Virginia State Museum Earns 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Honored as a Top Performing Museum as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel Site

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Announces New Operating Hours for the Culture Center, Grave Creek Mound, Independence Hall, Museum in the Park and the State Museum

West Virginia Division of Culture and History Introduces New State Museum App

Guidelines for submitting a collection to the Archaeological Collections Facility