Art & Beautification

ART26201 is capturing community project “small wins” in a creative way

02.24.20

*ART26201 Publication – Download a copy »*

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The ART26201 initiative kicked off in Buckhannon in 2015 when a group of community members recognized that with a greater focus on creative placemaking in their town, they would be better positioned to keep and attract new residents – especially young people and creatives like visual and performing artists. The presence and contributions of both young people and creatives can be vital to sparking the momentum that is needed to build community and drive economic growth for small towns.

The all-volunteer, community-run nonprofit group operates with about a dozen active members. Their team began issuing an annual 4-page print publication last year that has become a critical tool in raising funds to sustain their work as well as in increasing visibility for their projects and key accomplishments.

Through this publication, the team at ART26201 is able to show how a series of “small wins” can accumulate to create a significant positive impact on their community.

Download a copy of this year’s ART26201 publication »

In their latest issue, there are stories about public art projects, special events like a block party and a young filmmakers camp, recognition for donations received, and others.

For the team at ART26201, their flagship project is the Art in Public Places Program. The group started by identifying 50 sites in their community that would be good locations to place public art projects. They work each year to chip away at this list – adding new projects as they are able to develop concepts, and then identify and secure the funds to complete them. The feature story in their publication this year is about a series of wildlife murals located in the Traders Alley Arts District in downtown Buckhannon that were designed by the renowned, native West Virginian artist Charley Harper.

*Spectators gather at the unveiling of the latest works for the Art in Public Places Program, four Charley Harper Murals, on October 25, 2019. Photo by Brian Bergstrom.*

The annual publication is included as part of a targeted mailing that is sent out to those who have donated to ART26201 in the past, and it is also distributed to small businesses in high traffic areas in Buckhannon so that visitors and residents alike can find it.

Buckhannon resident and ART26201 board member Bryson VanNostrand shared that the publication helps to increase the sense of professionalism for the organization’s work and assists with laying the groundwork for requests for donations and support for new projects.

About the ART26201 initiative, Bryson says, “We are intentionally focusing on our message to our kids, and are using the arts to project a colorful, progressive, and welcoming community image to them. Communities across West Virginia suffer from the exodus of its youth to more metropolitan communities, and we are actively trying to convince young people that choosing to stay in Buckhannon after graduation is a viable option. We’re seeing proof of headway with these public art projects as we find young people taking selfies in front of the artworks almost on a daily basis. We’re even seeing wedding, engagement, and baby shower portraits taken in the arts district. We want art to be part of our community’s daily conversation, and it’s rewarding to see how the public artworks are attracting folks organically.”

To find out more about ART26201, visit their website at www.ART26201.com.

Use these WV-created resources to kickstart creative placemaking in your community

01.27.20

*Moorefield community members during a Create Your State event*

BY ARIN SHATTO, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AMERICORPS VISTA, THE HUB

Looking for innovative ways to bring creativity into your community? Lori McKinney, a community leader based in Princeton whose energy and artistry has been a central driver of creative placemaking efforts there, and who is also the co-founder of The Riff Raff Collective and project manager of Create Your State, has created two ways in which to pass her learnings along to others: an online toolkit and video tutorials.

The Changemaker’s Toolkit shares detailed instructions on how to spark changes in your community from the ground up. You can learn how to assemble a team, address naysayers, create public works of art, and more.

The Create Your State Video Tutorials are a series of ten engaging sessions open to all. Here you can discover ways to recognize the power of possibility, identify assets, confront negativity, amongst others.

Do you want to make creative placemaking a part of your community?

Check out the Changemaker’s Toolkit and Video Tutorials on the Create Your State website »

If you’d like to dig deeper and learn how to bring Create Your State to your communities, please contact Lori McKinney at lori@option22.net

WVPB: This dynamic creative residency is based in Fayetteville, WV

01.21.20

*Amy McLaughlin and Shawn Means, owners of LaFayette Flats in Fayetteville, W.Va and founders of the New River Gorge Creative Residency program*

BY ERIC DOUGLAS FOR WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Sometimes creativity requires breaking away from the normal routine and focusing on one’s work. Now in its sixth year, the New River Gorge Creative Residency at Lafayette Flats in Fayetteville, W. Va. allows writers and visual artists a quiet place to stay and make art.

When Shawn Means and Amy McLaughlin opened LaFayette Flats as a boutique vacation rental space in Fayetteville, they wanted to “change the narrative” about the state. They began by decorating their four rental suites with West Virginia art and loading shelves with books by West Virginia authors…

Read + listen to the full story on the West Virginia Public Broadcasting site »

8-year-old West Virginian leads community creative placemaking meet-up for peers

01.21.20

Creative placemaking meet-up in Princeton. Photo by Debra June Williby-Walker.

BY ARIN SHATTO, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AMERICORPS VISTA, THE HUB

8-year-old Oakvale native Brady Walker, a singer, actor, and community leader, is driving change in the neighboring community of Princeton. Inspired by the Create Your State convening, a multimedia educational presentation and workshop that inspires and empowers creative community revitalization and development, Brady collaborated with the Princeton-based change-maker Lori McKinney to create a similar experience for young people in the area.

The duo spent two months brainstorming ideas for the inaugural event including traveling artboards, discussing volunteer opportunities, identifying mentors, and more! Last last year, their vision became reality!

Stages Music School, a space that cultivates creativity and self-expression, was the location for the event. Each young person that entered the room was beaming with excitement as they found their seats. Lori and her sister Melissa welcomed each person warmly and created an inviting space for all.

After introductions, the group began discussing project ideas that they would like to lead in their communities. These ideas ranged from revitalizing a local football stadium to supporting a nearby animal shelter to designing a youth-focused mural in downtown Princeton and beyond.

Brady mentioned a broad theme that encapsulated each of his comrades’ ideas: be mindful. When asked to explain what that phrase meant to him, the words kindness, caring, and weird were brought to the surface.

The group collectively supported this initiative and expressed great interest in acting upon it!

What I marveled most about participating in this convening was observing each young person share their ideas and witnessing others grin from ear to ear and clap for their fellow peers. The support was heart-warming and served as a powerful example of young people intentionally organizing and collaborating to create innovative changes in their community!

I am anxiously awaiting to see what will come from this group of young people and the ripple effect that their actions will have in other communities across West Virginia.

Washington Post: Ohio high school photographers crafted a stunning account of their lives

11.12.19

Partial image of the cover of the “The All-American Town,” a zine created by a group of Ohio high school students. Head to the story on *The Washington Post* site to see the images! (Provided by Kennedy Rhodes/Rural Arts Collaborative, Bellaire High School to *The Washington Post*)

BY KENNETH DICKERMAN AND THE STUDENTS OF BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

For years now, Instagram has been touted in photography circles as a great way to discover new talent in the field. But I’ll be honest with you, although I love the platform and am an avid user of it, as a longtime photo editor I haven’t found it a particularly fruitful source of new work. At times, I have contemplated abandoning the platform altogether (along with pretty much all other social media). But every now and then, a gem pops up that makes me reconsider. That’s just what happened one morning a couple of months ago…

See the photos plus read the story on The Washington Post site »

Times West Virginian: Extreme makeover for Fairmont crosswalks

09.24.19

Photo from the Main Street Fairmont Facebook page

BY ERIN HRIN FOR THE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

People using the crosswalk at the intersection of Monroe and Adams streets in Fairmont might have to look twice. That’s because a school of seven fish now appears to be swimming over the pavement, thanks to the efforts of some volunteers seeking to beautify the downtown area. On Saturday, members of Main Street Fairmont and students from Fairmont State University painted the images of the fish on the crosswalk, where, appropriately, the Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival is held each year.

The group also painted a patriotic design…

Read the full story on the Times West Virginian website »

First Legends and Lore Marker goes up – is your town next?

09.24.19

Photo from the Alderson Main Street Facebook page

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The Beckley-Register Herald shared a story recently about the first roadside marker going up in Alderson, WV through the Legends and Lore Marker program, run through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and West Virginia Humanities Council’s Folklife Program.

The deadline to apply for the next round of this program is October 1! Check out more information on the WV Folklife Program website »

From the story by Tina Alvey:

“A new roadside marker commemorating the famed Alderson lion, ‘French,’ will be dedicated… The marker will be placed near a striking metal sculpture of the lion that was created and installed in 2017 by Michael Loop.

Local residents are well-versed in the story of the circus lion cub that was rescued and raised by an Alderson woman in the 1890s. As the lion grew, he occasionally wandered away from his home and strolled the streets of Alderson, much to the dismay of townsfolk. After he frightened a salesman into jumping into the Greenbrier River to escape, the town council passed a law requiring “all lions” in Alderson to be properly leashed.”

Read the full story on the Register Herald site »

What is special or unusual about your town’s history? Head to the WV Folklife Program’s website for more details about this program and to apply by October 1 »

WVU Libraries art exhibit looks at West Virginia’s story through a new lens

08.27.19

Liz Pavlovic (*Holiday Cryptids*), courtesy WVU Libraries

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

“Appalachian Futures,” West Virginia University Libraries’ new year-long exhibition, addresses the current dominant narratives about Appalachia in a new way, by looking at how the people of Appalachia have worked and will work to rewrite their own story.

The exhibit officially opens on Sept. 3, with a reception from 5-7 p.m. in the Milano Reading Room in WVU’s Downtown Campus Library. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with games inspired by West Virginia history and designed by collaborative teams of art, media and computer science students.

Synthesizing humanities research, art and civic action, the exhibit invites viewers to explore the often overlooked communities of Indigenous Appalachia, “Affrilachian” (African American in Appalachia), and queer Appalachia. Examine Appalachian tradition and culture; the intersections between extraction industries, new technology, and science; literacies and education in Appalachia; as well as speculative futures for the region. Contributors include WVU and regional scholars, community groups and artists.

There are many events and programs planned in association with this exhibition – check out the Appalachian Futures exhibition page on the WVU Libraries site to find out more information.

Meet up with WV arts and culture innovators at the Create Your State Convening

08.27.19

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The team behind Create Your State – an initiative to spark community revitalization through the arts – is holding their first Create Your State Convening on October 11-13 for all communities who have participated in the initiative in the past, as well as any motivated West Virginians who are interested in learning more about how collaborating with members of the arts community can be an innovative leverage point for community and economic development.

To find out more and register for the event, visit the Create Your State site »

Watch Lori McKinney share a bit about this event:

From the organizers:

“Experience firsthand the transformative impact the arts have made in downtown Princeton while meeting collaborators who are doing similar visionary work around the state.

Tour the venues that make up Princeton’s creative community; learn from informative panel discussions about public art, festival organizing, gallery co-ops, and more; and enjoy live music, delicious food, and a FUN day on the town in the Grassroots District.

Rejuvenate with nature in rustic accommodations in nearby Pipestem provided by the beautiful Appalachian South Folklife Center—the ‘magical mountaintop’ where it all started for the CYS founders, the annual home of Culturefest World Music & Arts Festival. Enjoy bonfires, cookouts, and inspired conversations with changemaking allies.

Share your inspirations, challenges, solutions, and questions about transforming your town. Network with other forward-thinkers and amplify your impact as we all support one another in creating our state!”

To find out more and register for the event, visit the Create Your State site »

Moorefield’s creative placemaking sparking new conversations

07.30.19

Local creatives welcomed the Create Your State tour to the community

BY TOM HART, CULTIVATE WV COMMUNITY COACH, THE HUB

Moorefield, along with Cowen, are two communities participating in The Hub’s Cultivate WV Program. Recently, as part of Moorefield’s Cultivate activities, the Create Your State tour was scheduled to travel to the area to deliver their always-inspiring multimedia presentation on how to leverage creativity to transform your community. As a community coach for the Cultivate WV program, I was excited to once again see this presentation.

As I arrived at Moorefield High School for the gathering, I was immediately taken aback by the festival-like atmosphere.

In the parking lot were pop up canopies with face painting and other art being created. Inside the school commons area, local artists and performers were busy setting up their displays, drawing, sketching, and belly dancing! The community had decided to organize a local artisan showcase prior to and conjunction with the Create Your State presentation. This fantastic idea was the perfect opening act to set the atmosphere for the performers of Create Your State.

Following the presentation, many of the participants stayed for a vibrant and robust roundtable discussion of opportunities and possibilities for further creative growth in the Moorefield area.

Congratulations to the dynamic individuals of the Moorefield community for having the vision and initiative to create such a positive and festive atmosphere!