Discover your inner artist at these 7 WV art studios

Take home a piece of your own handiwork next time you go gallery hopping.

Arts centers around the Mountain State share their Appalachian and artistic traditions hands-on. Browse these galleries for inspiration, then get all the tools and guidance you need to create a unique artwork yourself:

1. Parkersburg Art Center

Get your hands dirty with clay and creativity at the Parkersburg Arts Center’s Clay Studio, where you can sculpt in all styles, from wheel throwing to hand-building. Create something from start to finish at a project workshops, or get your creative juices really flowing on BYOB nights.

2. Huntington Museum of Art

Refine your skills with the experts during the Walter Gropius Master Series at the Huntington Museum of Art. The multi-day workshops immerse you in your medium, with creative challenges along the way.

If you’re looking for something more at square 1, the museum also has classes in painting, printmaking, clay and more for all ages.

3. Beckley Art Works

If you want to try something totally new, check the latest class lineup at the Beckley Arts Center. You might just catch a class in fashion design, metalsmithing, doodling for meditation or batik, which uses wax and dye to decorate cloth. As spring approaches, you can get involved in creative community projects like yarn bombing.

4. Country Roads Quilt Shop

In the old-time tradition, quilting was more than a craft; it was a social gathering. Sew socially with monthly quilting bees and special events at the Country Roads Quilt Shop in Morgantown. Bring in your own projects to work on, or join a structured class to learn new patterns.

5. The Oglebay Institute

Get a taste of West Virginia’s iconic glasswork at the Museums of Oglebay Institute in Wheeling. Drop-in during studio hours for a bite-sized lesson or a half-day workshop, or tinker with more advanced glass blowing techniques in a beginner’s class.

6. Amanda’s Glass Art

Once you’ve learned to craft elegant glassworks, decorate them! Amanda’s Glass Art in Charleston will teach you to create stunning stained glass, or use it to add glittering color to other household projects.

7. Badgerhound Studio & Gallery

Every Wednesday after school, kids can head to the Badgerhound in Shepherdstown for a lesson about a famous artist, and activities about to that artist’s work. From postage stamps to place settings, the range of crafts keeps the little ones active and entertained.

Which West Virginia gallery will inspire you?

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This post was last updated on July 20, 2020