Jack Walker Published

New Shepherdstown Exhibition Aims To Highlight Breadth Of Appalachian Art, Craftwork

A small white building sits alongside a red brick walkway with a short tree directly in front of it. Slightly obscured by the tree branches, a sign above the doorway reads "Shepherdstown Welcome Center." There is a historic plaque to the side of the door with its text obscured by the distance.
From Sept. 5 to 30, Experience Shepherdstown will host the art exhibition on the second story of the Shepherdstown Welcome Center, pictured here.
Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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A new exhibition coming to Shepherdstown next month seeks to showcase the variety of visual art created in Appalachia.

From Sept. 5 to Sept. 30, local tourism organization Experience Shepherdstown will host a free exhibition at the Shepherdstown Welcome Center entitled “Experience Appalachia.” The show is free to enter and open to artists age 18 and up living in the region.

While it is operationally independent, Board President Shannon Thomas said the exhibition aims to bring a visual art accompaniment to the Appalachian Heritage Festival and Writer-in-Residence held annually at Shepherd University.

Experience Shepherdstown is now seeking submissions to consider for next month’s show. Thomas said the organization welcomes all different types of visual art, from traditional mediums to Appalachian craftwork like quilting, woodworking and instrument-making.

“It’s pretty broad,” Thomas said. “We really hope that we get a good mix to show a good flavor of what Appalachia has to offer.”

The showcase is non-juried and free to enter. Submissions are due Aug. 20 and must be hand-delivered to the exhibition site in Shepherdstown.

For more information, visit the Experience Shepherdstown website.