Best West Virginia town for writers or artists? (Wheeling, Morgantown: theatre, university)

[rachaelb]

Arts Communities

Hi there!

I hope you don't mind if I jump in here. I read all of your posts with interest, as one of the things that became apparent to me when I compared WV to NC in terms of affordability/beauty/arts, ect. was that WV doesn't seem to have yet completely capitalized upon the availability of all the great artisans/artists that exist. WV is just as beautiful with the mountains and seems so much more untouched/spoiled by rampant development.


One idea I had was to get together a group of like minded people to move into/buy up some of a downtown area of a small town in WV that is still affordable and work together to revitalize it thru creating studios/galleries in that area. Maybe this would eventually lead to more tourism in that area, and then more jobs? I know this sounds vastly simplified, but couldn't it work or am I too idealistic?

Is this anything anyone would be interested in? I'd love to hear your ideas -- I have been looking for a place to move for some time now, but have found NC to be out of my price range in many ways, and have found WV to be a gorgeous place.

Thanks for any ideas - hope I'm not getting this forum off topic.

[LilyLaLa]

That's not so oversimplified as you might think, and it's worked for a few towns in Ireland. It reminds me of a project in Belfast off the Falls Road, where an abandoned mill (huge old brick building) was turned into an arts centre, including studios for artists and writers, a whole floor of retail space for craftspeople, big rooms for workshops or masterclasses, and I can't remember what else. Then the whole outside was painted in murals and it became a landmark.

Many cities have blocks or 'strips' for antiques or books or open air markets, especially where you get the buildings that have residential rooms over commercial space, so why not? Adding an annual street festival would be a bonus.

Depending on where it was and other details, I'd definitely be interested in being part of it.

[vec101]

Originally Posted by rachaelb

One idea I had was to get together a group of like minded people to move into/buy up some of a downtown area of a small town in WV that is still affordable and work together to revitalize it thru creating studios/galleries in that area. Maybe this would eventually lead to more tourism in that area, and then more jobs? I know this sounds vastly simplified, but couldn't it work or am I too idealistic?
Thanks for any ideas - hope I'm not getting this forum off topic.

There was a little town in NC, I think near Grandfathers Mt. that looked to be like you are describing (went there on a trip to the Biltmore). I have often wished that type of thing could be better developed in Davis or Thomas (both towns are in the area known as Canaan Valley).

WV has an artist "co-op" based out of Thomas - it's called mountainmade.com. They have 2 shops there and sell online. In Davis there is an art shop that sells wares of WV artists. It seems like the towns offer a hint of what you are describing and it would be wonderful if they were better developed. I'm not sure what keeps it from becoming a place like that in NC. It may be the remoteness of the area (for people to live who own the shops - it's a long haul to the nearest Wal-Mart, movie theater, etc). Canaan gets tons of visitors and would get even more I think if one or both of these towns were more developed (the towns are old logging towns. On it's upper side, Thomas has a lot of old store-fronts that are empty building. The lower side has the art shops and some others.)

Have heard that a Weekender (this is what my family calls ourselves and others who live in another area but spend weekends at Canaan), anyhow, heard that a Weekender bought a lot of the buildings etc on the lower side of Thomas and is investing a lot to fix it up and make it more like what you are describing. Haven't heard this straight from him.

Corridor H is eventually going to go to Parsons and on through to Virginia (Not sure what all is considered Corridor H but I think it starts at I-79 Exit 99 Weston/Buckhannon. I think it is now open almost to Parsons - don't think it has hit Parsons yet). This may help to open up the area. Thanks heavens it is not going to it Canaan Valley itself but Parsons will make it an easier to the Valley.

You may want to make a trip to Canaan Valley sometime and check it out.
Visit Canaan Valley - Blackwater Falls - Tucker County, West Virginia

(PS, WV also has a large place called Tamarack at the rest stop in Beckley that sells all WV goods and art).

[tbailey1138]

Huntington has actually been considering doing this exact thing. They have been looking closely at an artist relocation/rejuvenation project in Paducah, KY and are considering doing something like that here. It might be worth your while to contact some of the city leaders, specifically the deputy mayor Ms. Jacob-Jones, and see what they say. Since this is something that they are looking into, if they had a group of artists involved to help coordinate this it would probably help it come to fruition and happen quicker. Being the home to the largest art museum in the state, you could also likely get some support from them as well. There is also a local business that sells handmade crafts from artisans around the state called the Downtown Depot. They actually jury their artisans through the Tamack so they have a connection there as well. Here are some links about this:
Paducah Artist Relocation Program - Program Information
Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV
City of Huntington, West Virginia
http://www.city-data.com/profiles/12131

As a note about writers groups, here's a story about a success that came out of a writers group in Huntington:
Critically-acclaimed author reading Saturday afternoon at Empire Books - Huntington, WV -- The Herald-Dispatch

[tbailey1138]

Just saw this in the news today and this thread came to mind so I thought I would post it!
New romance writers group forms - Huntington, WV -- The Herald-Dispatch

[llynium]

I must tell you about our awesome arts movement in downtown Princeton, WV. We ( a dynamic group of visual and performing artists) bought a the town full of color and life with an art gallery, performance space and artist studios. There is now a new music school across the street and a cafe getting ready to open! It's going beautifully, and we are always looking for like minded idealists to join in the movement!
Visit us at www.theriffraff.net to get a feel for the project and look at tons of pictures. We would LOVE to hear from you! -Lori McKinney riffraffarts@yahoo.com

[vec101]

Awesome - be sure to keep on this forum so when people ask about that area and/or tourism you can tell them (and the rest of us).

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by LilyLaLa

Well, I know that the larger cities, like Charleston, would certainly have more resources available, and a broader social scene to find a writer's group in...

And of course the college towns, like Morgantown and Elkins, have English departments that ensure events and workshops and perhaps a magazine or two.

But is there any place in West Virginia that a writer (novelist) would find PARTICULARLY appealing, or especially "home", and for what reasons? Any active writing communities? ...before I make my absolutely final last decision on where to go househunting....

No question that, by far, the most resources would be in Morgantown although any college town would have some semblance of them. The area surrounding Morgantown is especially tranquil and the town has a lively artistic community. The combination of nature and proximity to a large metro area just an hour away is hard to match.

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by WVUPharm2007

Heh. Someday someone will recommend a town that isn't their hometown.....and I'll do a double-take.

Actually I recommend Morgantown, and it isn't my hometown. Wheeling is my hometown, but the benefits of Morgantown for a writer are great, and it is a nice town too with a predominantly collegiate flavor... the only such town in the State with more than half the residents having at least a bachelors degree.

[Orwelleaut]

What a wonderful thread!! I'm a writer as well. I never really gave the idea of a writers' community in WVA much thought. I've always figured that there are such communities up in New England in places like Vermont or Western Mass, but knew they were just too expensive for an Ohioan who works for a living to even consider moving to.

Being pretty familiar with the Wheeling area and a fan of this area, I'd be interested in writing about The Northern Panhandle. Since I live near Youngstown, Ohio, I'd enjoy conversing with some local writers from The Northern Panhandle.

Do you know of any communities of writers in this part of the state, CTMountaineer? I think the stories of life in this area would represent the way of life of that section of the country you so aptly described as "Midwest Appalachian". The old customs of the Eastern European and German folks who settled in this area should be captured in writing before the last of the "Frankie Yankovic generation" dies off. I grew up around German American grandparents who loved Lawrence Welk, Slovenian style polka music, etc. They have been gone since the 1990's, but the fond memories are crystal clear. I would love to capture some of the feel of the Slovenian, Polish, Slovak, Czech and German communities of Wheeling with the great food and great music before too much more time passes, and talk to some of the older folks while they are still with us. Things like buttonbox accordion music are gems which should never be forgotten. If younger generations are to know about their rich heritage, it is up to Generation X'ers like myself to write about the old folks we grew up around for them. After all, old folks, for Generation Y, are people who listen to Elvis and other oldies rock. Oldies rock is great as well, but is certainly not going to be forgotten anytime soon. I think the Northern Panhandle has many unique stories to tell, and I would like to capture some of these stories in writing.