West Virginia Arts & Heritage

05/28/2026

Happy Birthday, Jerry West! 🎈🎂🎉

Legendary NBA player Jerry West was born in Chelyan, WV on May 28, 1938. Known as the silhouette appearing in the NBA logo, West will forever be remembered as a basketball and Mountain State icon.

Celebrate his birthday today by swinging by the West Virginia State Museum to see his jersey and signed basketball!

📍 West Virginia State Museum - Charleston, WV
🕘 Open Mon-Sat | 9AM-5PM
💲 FREE Admission
📲 Book tours at WVTourism.com/tours

05/26/2026

✨I don't know about you, but my next museum visit is going to be so colorful 🫶

📍Museum of American Glass in West Virginia -
Weston
🕤 Open Mon - Sat, 9:30AM-5PM | Sun, 1PM-5PM
💲 Free Admission
📲 More info: wvtourism.com/company/west-virginia-museum-american-art-glass

05/26/2026

Today, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, began in the 1860s with the tradition of decorating graves of Civil War soldiers who lost their lives during the war.

Following World War I, the holiday transformed to include honoring veterans from all wars and in 1971, Memorial Day was designated as a national holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May.

05/24/2026

📣 It's time for some West Virginia trivia... 👇

True or False: West Virginia’s first Governor was elected to a job that didn't technically exist yet.

TRUE! ✅

On May 28, 1863, Arthur Boreman was elected as the very first Governor of West Virginia. The only catch? West Virginia didn't officially become a state until June 20, 1863. 😉

05/23/2026

Cue the fiddle as you dive into the world of folk music preservation in the Mountain State... 🎻🎶

Don’t forget to come to the Vandalia Gathering at the Capitol Complex today through Sunday for some live picking and traditional Appalachian music! 🥳

Text and Photos by Jennie S. Williams On November 14, 2024, a large audience gathered at West Virginia University’s Gluck Theater during Mountaineer Week

05/18/2026

A place that is preserving ancestry, heritage, and history in Almost Heaven? Sign us up! 🙌

Visit the Pipestem Elementary School Museum to explore school life from 1878 to 1994 along with sections dedicated to military, first responders, railroad, and a day-in-the-life back in the day!

📍Pipestem Elementary School Museum - Pipestem, WV
🕚 Open Thurs-Sun I 11AM-4PM
💲 $5 Admission
📲 More info: Pipestem Elementary School Museum

05/17/2026

Think you know the Mountain State? 🤔

You might know our state bird or flower, but did you know West Virginia has an official State Fossil?

🦴 What giant prehistoric creature officially represents West Virginia as the State Fossil?

🦥 Megalonyx jeffersonii, also known as the Giant Ground Sloth!

05/17/2026

This year’s 49th Annual Vandalia Gathering is just around the corner! 🥳 Take a trip down memory lane with this edition of Goldenseal featuring the 25th Vandalia Gathering... 👇

FolklifeFairsFestivalsGOLDENSEALs FolklifeFairsFestivals calendar is prepared three to six months in advance of publication The information was accuratas far as we could determine at the time the magazine went to press However it is advisable to check with the organization or event to makcertain tha...

05/15/2026

📣 Grant deadline approaching!

Arts grants through the WV State Arts Office close on Monday, May 18 at 4:59 PM.

Be sure to check out our rolling deadline grants: Creative Economies Mini Grant for Artists, Arts in Education Mini Grant and Community Arts Mini Grant 🎨

Select grants will have a second round of applications due October 1, 2026.

Learn more about our grants here ➡️ wvculture.org/agencies/arts/grants

05/15/2026

✍️ THIS WEEK IN 1861 (May 13-15), history was being written in the mountains!

As the vote for Virginia's secession from the Union loomed, leaders from the western counties gathered for the First Wheeling Convention, where they formally challenged the secession ordinance and set the wheels in motion for the creation of the state of West Virginia.

Learn more at the West Virginia State Museum!

📍WV State Museum - Charleston, WV
🕘 Open Mon-Sat | 9AM-5PM
💲 FREE Admission
📲 Book tours at WVTourism.com/tours