Appalachia and art just go together, one Huntington artist said.
“It’s definitely not a competitive thing. It’s just for the love of it,” said Mandee Wilson, one of many local artists showcased at last week’s Art in the Park.
Art in the Park took place at Ritter Park on Saturday, June 7 and 8, featuring artists from the Tri-State Arts Association.
“The group is a good group of people and they are always looking for new artists to jury in,” Wilson said. “Sometime in August, they’ll be looking to jury new artists into the group.”
The Tri-State Arts Association is one of many organizations located near the Huntington area that aims to provide support for the creative minds of the area and to improve the local communities through the medium of art, regardless of membership to the organization.
Ashland artist Kara Clark said, “I think the art scene, especially right now, is really blowing up a little bit more. There’s a lot. I’m involved in the Ashland Artists Association, and they really collaborate a lot with each other which is nice, and they always encourage new people to join.”
Clark said it feels a lot like Appalachia, where everyone treats each other like neighbors and friends. She added that artists in the area are always supportive and kind, often lending a hand to one another.
“I always talk up every other potter because I know pottery. I always say, ‘Oh, if you like this? Go look at their pottery over there,’” Wilson said. “And if I get a chance, and let’s say my husband were to stay here and let me go shopping, I would go and buy other people’s pottery. He doesn’t get that. He’s like, ‘But you make it,’ and I’m like ‘No, no, it’s different.’”
Wilson said it is never a competition to her and regardless of what kind of art it is, she always finds enjoyment in it and the artists around her.
“I talk everybody else up because they’re all great,” Wilson said. “Everybody has their own way of doing things.”
In response to what Wilson described, art teacher Homaira Ahmed said it is the exact way she teaches her students in the art studio.
“All students come up with their special techniques or special design and they become different like one of me,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said even though she is not from West Virginia, she could never leave the community she has found and the art she has grown so close to in West Virginia.
“Twenty-five years ago, before coming here, I was always a city girl,” Ahmed said. “And the first two years were tough for me. Now, nobody can move me from here. It’s around mountains and the beautiful trees, flowers and nature. Even from my home, if I look through the window, I can see nature. And now I go for visits, but I cannot give up the sights and everything. It’s close to the art.”
The Tri-State Arts Association was established in 1953, and its Art in the Park event has taken place for over 40 years.. The organization continues to gather members via a jury process to support the creative communities within the Tri-State area.
Any artist within the Tri-State area who is interested in joining the organization can find information on the application process on their website at https://tri-stateartsassociation.org/. Members must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of West Virginia, Ohio or Kentucky.
Soleil Woolard can be contacted at [email protected].
