PARKERSBURG — “Parkersburg Piccalilli: An Artists’ Takeover” is coming to the Parkersburg Art Center on Sept. 14-15.
The program is presented by the Art Center, Tamarack Foundation for the Arts and the Arts Collaborative of the Mid-Ohio Valley. Registration is open with early-bird pricing.
On that Thursday and Friday, the Parkersburg arts and culture district will be taken over by Parkersburg Piccalilli, a two-day arts conference for working artists, art educators, college art students and arts organizations. The two days will feature workshops, hands-on art making, networking and celebration.
Parkersburg Piccalilli features two tracks, one about creative entrepreneurship and the financial side of being a working artist. The other track includes workshops by some of the region’s premier artists with hands-on art making opportunities. On Thursday evening Piccalilli Parkersburg participants will be treated to a multi-venue reception. This “Happening” will include food, music and a pop-up exhibit of participating artists’ work.
A lineup of presenters and workshop hosts for Parkersburg Piccalilli 2023 is already planned.
The Tamarack Foundation for the Arts is bringing Mitzi Sinnott, a West Virginia native, daughter of artists and a leader of cultural change in America. She convenes conversations about race, class and science as an art form across industries and interests. She will be home in West Virginia this fall working on a number of projects with Tamarack and will come to Parkersburg for the conference.
Phil Eich, founder of Storyville Social, a marketing agency that uses writing, photography, videography and podcasting to create story-centered marketing will be sharing his talents, and how he used them, to teach ways of engagement in social media. WV Mainstreet is hosting this presentation.
Also presenting is Elaine Luttrull, back by popular demand this year, to discuss the business of art. She is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company devoted to building financial literacy and empowerment in creative individuals through education and coaching.
Sandra Reed, award winning Marshall University arts professor will provide a hands-on workshop. As an artist, Reed has investigated the academic traditions of figure and landscape painting and is currently working on mixed media abstractions. Reed has mounted eleven solo shows, including Selvage (April 2022), and participated in more than 25 group exhibitions.
More presenters and workshop instructors will be announced in the coming month.
All registered conference goers are invited to bring up to two pieces of their original art to display at the pop-up exhibit on Thursday night. The idea behind this conference is that it is participatory. Learn from presenters and learn from one another.
Go to https://www.parkersburgartcenter.org/upcomingcurrent-events to register. Early bird pricing is still in effect. For more information contact the Parkesburg Arts Center at info@parkersburgartcenter.org or call 304-485-3859.
