Congratulations to the talented artisans juried in during our April 28th session! We’re excited to introduce them and share a bit about their work. Learn more below!
MEET DOROTHY ALBRIGHT!
RALEIGH COUNTY | QUILTING
Dorothy Albright
“I have been sewing since I was 10 years old; I sewed mainly clothing. It wasn’t until 1999 when I was approached by a woman who ran an outdoor craft festival, when she asked if I knew anyone that sewed. Immediately, I said I did. She was looking for new vendors. And that began my journey of doing craft shows. I started out making hooded bath towels for children. Some of the items I make are hooded bath towels, duffle bags, curling iron caddies, purses, tea bag caddies, eyeglass cases, hot bowl hot pads, tote bags, wallets, and quilts.”
MEET SUZANNE BOWERS!
JEFFERSON COUNTY | PHOTOGRAPHY
Suzanne Bowers
“Adventures often inspire my art. Alongside my wonderful husband, Chris, and our silly Willie dog, I’ve been fortunate to explore countless trails, rivers, lakes, and parks across the country. Together, we’ve hiked, kayaked, geocached, and fished in over 40 states, and our bucket list just keeps growing. The more we experience, the deeper our curiosity becomes about the beauty and diversity of this world.”
MEET THERESA BURGESS!
GRANT COUNTY | QUILTING
Theresa Burgess
“I’m a creative quilter with a deep appreciation for color, texture, and design. I transform fabric into meaningful, well-constructed quilts through thoughtful pattern work and skilled machine quilting. I strive to bring originality, patience, and pride in craftsmanship to every quilt.”
MEET JANET CHAMBERS!
PUTNAM COUNTY | PAINTING & JEWELRY
Janet Chambers
“Janet’s life has always been immersed in art and the outdoors. She grew up beside the easel of her wildlife artist father and accompanied him on field trips to the Oregon Coast, the Rocky Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountains of her West Virginia home. Her love of painting led her to earn the first Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Marshall University. Janet’s works range from award-winning miniatures to large-scale public art projects. Her artwork has been featured in the Wolf Creek Printery Calendar since 2019. Janet’s time spent outdoors inspires her to paint subjects including birds, wildflowers, and landscapes.”
MEET T. ANNE HAWKINS!
MONONGALIA COUNTY | CERAMICS
T. Anne Hawkins
“My work explores the intersection of sanctuary and story. As a long-time psychologist, I have always believed that creating a sense of home and connection is vital to our well- being. This belief took on new meaning during the pandemic, leading me to shift my ceramic practice toward hand-built “tiny houses” and more recently to books that have also become my hallmark (especially as I make more time to read on the beach). Based in Morgantown and working out of Zenclay for more than 10 years, I create pieces that serve as miniature monuments to the spaces and narratives that ground us. Whether I am crafting an architectural stand-alone form or incorporating a tiny dwelling into a functional wheel thrown piece, my goal is to capture the nostalgia and comfort of home. Through my work, I hope to provide patrons with a tangible sense of place and time and a reminder of the rich stories that shape our lives and share our connections, realities and hopes. I’m currently teaching at Zenclay, and you can find my work locally at Appalachian Gallery, Zenclay, Hoot and Howl, and various pop-up markets and shows.”
MEET ELIZABETH KUMP!
MORGAN COUNTY | FUSED GLASS
Elizabeth Kump
“I am primarily a self-taught artist but have studied with numerous craft artisans including work with Veronica at Frog Valley Artisans. I began working in art doing more traditional / commercial work painting murals on vans and other vehicles. On a smaller scale I began painting detailed figurative work on stones and found objects. That led to an interest in float design for fairy festivals and intricate selfie station paintings. This decades long interest in making art led to an exploration in other media including glass.”
MEET SOPHIA MAGGIO!
RALEIGH COUNTY | MIXED MEDIA
Sophia Maggio
“Across my work (illustrations, zines, writing, and a few other things), I invite viewers and readers to consider the beauty in the mundane: in the pigeons, birdhouses, bags, and other places and objects so many of us encounter and quickly move past on a daily basis. I revel in these moments and seek to express them with honesty, empathy, and a sense of humor.”
MEET KATIE MULLINS!
GREENBRIER COUNTY | JEWELRY
Katie Mullins
“I am a self-taught artist who specializes in bead embroidered jewelry. I utilize delicate seed beads to create bohemian style designs in earrings, necklaces, bracelets and hair pieces. Other components you will find in her work include feathers, gemstones, hammered copper and dried flowers. I am based in rural WV, where I draw inspiration from sustainable micro-farming practices. I have three children and a passion for immersing them and my customers in what the West Virginia mountains have to teach us– beauty and stewardship.”
MEET SCOTT PITT!
MERCER COUNTY | MIXED MEDIA
Scott Pitt
“One of my clearest childhood memories growing up in southern West Virginia was when I was four years old. I am looking proudly at a yarn-sewn wall hanging of the Itsy Bitsy Spider. I had assembled the pieces from the kit and stitched it myself. In that moment, something clicked. I did not have the words for it then, but I knew: I was an artist. I lovingly refer to those early days as my yarn years and mark that time as the beginning of a lifelong journey of creating.
That sense of intuitive creativity and assembling pieces together never left me. Since my yarn years, I’ve earned a B.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in painting and sculpture. I have also studied my other passions which include theatre, costume design, and museum curation. Over the past eight years, my artistic focus has been creating digital mixed media collages and promoting the arts through public workshops and community-based initiatives.”
MEET MATTHEW WALKER!
RALEIGH COUNTY | WATER MARBLED FABRIC
Matthew Walker
“I’m an emerging water marbling artist in hopes to become a full time and self-employed artisan. I am looking for opportunities and experiences to continue to grow as an artist and as an individual. Being able to share my love for this medium and be part of the artist community is one of my main goals.”
MEET SARA PERSINGER!
FAYETTE COUNTY | LEATHER
Sara Persinger
“The first step will be cutting the leather to appropriate shape. Apply blue tape to back so the leather will not stretch while tooling. Then the process begins. Casing the leather is important for transferring the design. The next step will be swivel knife carving into the leather. Beveling will then be used to create depth. Then you will be ready to add texture with stamps. After adding texture I then dye the leather. I then burnish the leather edges with Tokonole , also putting Edge Knote Finish on the edges. These steps are used for the wallets and purses. Part of the hardware will go on the purse at this time, leaving the parts that need to go on after the lining goes in. For the purses I make the pockets and lining out of the same material. I glue the lining in before sewing. The Leather pictures are mostly the same process will exception of embossing the picture giving them a 3-D look.”