Now in its nineth year, ArtSpring Festival is Tucker County’s annual celebration of the arts. ArtSpring Festival features a silent auction, three days of live music, and made art market, gallery openings and receptions, artist demonstrations, hands-on activities for all ages, photography and history walks, a square dance, open studios, wine tasting, craft beverage tour, a Saturday evening Art Walk through the galleries of Thomas, a Sunday evening lantern parade and more. Highlights Include:
- Silent Auction (Cottrill’s Opera House, Thomas) – Opening Reception Friday 6-9pm; Closing Reception Sunday noon – 3pm. Featuring over 100 unique works of art and certificates to local businesses. Music by Aurora Celtic and Tryptych on Friday.
- Thomas Art Walk (Front Street Art Galleries, Thomas) – Saturday, 6pm. New works and receptions at Lamplight Gallery (Landry McMeans), Gradient (Michelle Kohler), Santangelo (Rosalie Haizlett), Tip Top (Abbie Chessler and Joshua Gambetta), White Room (Valerie Joan Taylor) and Front Street Grocers (Jen Iskow).
- Handmade Art Market & Music Stage (Davis Fire Hall) – Saturday 11am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm. Featuring a juried selection of regional artists and the best of local live music, as well as food vendors, mead wine tasting (Saturday only), hands-on activities, festival info and merchandise.
- Lantern Parade (leaves Cottrill’s Opera House) Sunday, 8:30pm. Make your lantern at the Handmade Art Market all weekend and parade it through Thomas on Sunday at dark.
- Young Artists Showcase (Davis Town Hall) – Saturday and Sunday, 11am-5pm. Award-winning art by K-12 students from the annual all-county STArt Student Art Show, sponsored by WV Highlands.
- Art Demonstrations and Reception at WVHighlands Artisan Gallery, Saturday at noon Portraits at The Studio Gallery by Greg Arens, Saturday and Sunday at noon
- Craft Brew Tour – Bring your ArtSpring Pint to the following locations for discounts on craft beverages: The Billy Motel, Front Street Grocers, Honey River Meadery, Mountain State Brewing Company, The Purple Fiddle, Still Hollow Spirits, Stumptown Ales, Tip Top, and Wicked Wilderness.
A complete festival schedule is available at artspringwv.com/festival-2018
ArtSpring Festival’s major sponsors are St. George Medical Center, Tucker County Convention & Visitors Bureau, TIpTop , The Purple Fiddle, The Billy Motel, Black Bear Resort, Canaan Valley Resort, Verglas Media and Wicked Wilderness. Additional sponsors are recognized atartspringwv.com/sponsors2018/
ArtSpring is a steward of Tucker County Arts. We support learning, emerging, and established artists across the spectrum of contemporary and traditional creative arts. We offer direct support to artists, promote Tucker County as an arts destination, act as the gateway to the arts of Tucker County and facilitate the engagement between the creative community and the public. ArtSpring, Inc. is a 501-3c non-profit arts organization.