Tamarack’s David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery represents over 500 juried West Virginia artists. Every six to eight weeks, the gallery hosts a new and unique exhibition, giving artists throughout West Virginia the opportunity to showcase their incredible talents. The gallery proudly features a variety of subjects and mediums that truly represent the Best of West Virginia.

Virtual Gallery

Current Exhibition

Pop! Goes the Culture

Exhibition Run: December 3 – January 18

Inspired by Pop Art, the artwork in this exhibit explores modern and past pop culture iconography, how it has changed and the impact it makes on what we consume. Pop Art became popular in the 1960s when artists turned to sources such as Hollywood movies, advertising, product packaging, pop music and comic books for their imagery.

Upcoming Exhibitions

The Color Purple

The color purple has an incredible history going back thousands of years to its initial discovery in modern day Lebanon in around 1,200 B.C. The lore is that Hercules’ dog discovered purple after picking up a murex snail from the beach and developing purple pigmented drool from the mucus of those snails. It took would take a single laborer thousands upon thousands of snails to produce even a small quantity of purple pigment, increasing it’s value, thus becoming a quick favorite among royalty.

It is said that upon visiting Cleopatra, Caesar fell in love with her purple upholstered furniture, and his infatuation with the color led him to make a decree that only emperors could wear the color purple. Of course, Roman senators hated this and Caesar eventually allowed senators to wear stripes of purple and if you were caught wearing the color purple and you were neither a senator or emperor, you would be put to death.

Laws and guidelines like these were upheld for centuries. It is even said that King Henry the Eighth had a man charged with treason for wearing purple.

However, in 1865, an 18 year old English chemist accidentally created a synthetic purple pigment while working on an anti-malaria drug. The young man quickly patented the dye and not long after.

Once artists got their hands on purple pigment, the color could be seen everywhere. Impressionists to cubists alike, purple became a movement transforming the color from that of the elite, to one that often-signified ethereality, dreaminess, sorrow, or lust. Many believe that is why the color was so popular with the counterculture of the 60’s and 70’s with artists like Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Prince bringing shades of Ultraviolet to the forefront of western pop culture.

Due to it’s popularity and long interesting history, the David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery is kicking off our 2023 with ‘The Color Purple,’ in this exhibit we are seeking artwork of all manner of medium and subject matter, with one common thread- it must celebrate one of the world’s favorite colors: Purple!

This exhibition is for Tamarack juried artisans only, and will be curated internally. All work must abide by gallery guidelines and be eligible for sale. For inspiration or questions please contact us today at (304) 256-6843 Ext. 170 or at mlash@tamarackwv.com We look forward to seeing your entries!

This exhibition is only open to Tamarack juried artists. For more information about how to become a Tamarack artist, visit this link.

Image Submission Deadline: January 12, 2023
Decision Notifications (sent via email): January 13 – 14 2023
Drop Off Deadline for Accepted Work: January 28, 2023
Exhibition Run: February 4 – March 8, 2023

SUBMIT HERE

West Virginia Wild Things

March 18 – April 26, 2023

In the mid 1970s,“Wild and Wonderful” became a popular welcome slogan for West Virginia. Pleased with its catchiness, former State Commerce Director Lysander Dudley believed the phrase delightfully described residents’ feelings about their home state. Appearing on everything from brochures to welcome signs and license plates, this immortal slogan has branded West Virginia a place of hidden, untamed beauty.

Abundant in rolling hills, rocky gorges, and rushing rivers, West Virginia has become a rich playground for outdoor enthusiasts. People from around the world visit to scale its gorges and raft its rapids. Many also find solace in quiet fishing from a riverbank or hiking on one of the state’s numerous trails. In doing so, these enthusiasts become connected with nature. Simultaneously, the state’s unique geography safeguards a countless variety of plant and animal species. Visitors and residents are reminded that life thrives silently in our lush ecosystems as they are blessed with sightings of the brightly colored cardinal, the great rhododendron, and even the reclusive black bear.

In 2020, West Virginia’s New River Gorge became the state’s first national park, thus gaining national recognition as a place of wild and wonderful beauty. With this new accolade, the state extends its welcome, inviting visitors and residents to be continually captivated by all things wild.

To celebrate our wild things, the David L. Dickirson gallery is inviting artists to submit original 2D and 3D artwork for consideration in our West Virginia Wild Things exhibit. This exhibition is for Tamarack juried artisans only and will be curated internally. All work must abide by gallery guidelines and be eligible for sale. For inspiration or questions please contact us today at (304) 256-6843 Ext. 170 or at mlash@tamarackwv.com We look forward to seeing your entries!

Image Submission Deadline: Feb 18, 2023
Decision Notifications (sent via email) Feb 20-21 2023
Drop Off Deadline for Accepted Work: March 6, 2023
Exhibition Opening: March 18th, 2023

SUBMIT HERE