West Virginia Creative Network

After nearly 25 years of championing artists and creative entrepreneurs across the Mountain State, we’re entering a new chapter. 📖 We are now the West Virginia Creative Network — a name that reflects who we are, what we stand for, and where we’re headed. Our mission remains strong: to build a vibrant and prosperous arts community through resources, connection, and advocacy. Together, we envision a West Virginia where creativity fuels community, culture, and economic growth. ✨ Formerly Tamarack Foundation for the Arts — the next chapter starts NOW. 📣 #westvirginiacreativenetwork #WVCreativeNetwork #WVCN #WestVirginiaArtists #SupportWVArtists #wvcreatives #CreativeEntrepreneur

POV: you’re trying to figure out how creatives actually make a sustainable career work in West Virginia 👀🎶 Good news 🪄 we’re talking about exactly that next week with Brendan Gallagher of Born & Bred Music. 🎙️ We’ll get into the realities of the music industry, adapting to change, building community, and what success as a musician in Appalachia can really look like. Real conversation + insight from someone actively doing the work. 😎 📅 May 20 🕛 12:00–1:00 pm 💻 Online via Google Meet 🎟️ $5 to attend || Free for WVCN Members 🔗 Links to register and become a member are in our bio! Can’t make it live? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording 🤝 #WVCN #WVCreativeNetwork #WVmusic #yesWV #wvart

May your inbox be full of opportunities. 🌿✨ The May Opportunities Newsletter is here! Take a scroll to see what open call, residency, or grant may be waiting for you. 👀 Read this month's edition through the link in our bio 🔗📬

So you want to build a sustainable music career in West Virginia? 🎶 We have a session for you. 😎 Join us for our next So You Want To session with Brendan Gallagher of @bornandbredmusic 🎙️ Brendan will share insight and practical perspective on what it takes to have a music career in the mountain state. We'll be diving into topics such as: the history + evolution of Born & Bred, adaptability as a creative in an ever-changing industry, and common markers of successful musicians. ❤️‍🔥 📅 May 20th 🕛 12:00–1:00 pm 💻 Online via Google Meet 🎥 Can’t attend live? We've got your back. Register to receive the recording! 🎟️ Register through the link in our bio! #WVCN #WVCreativeNetwork #WVmusic #yesWV #wvcreatives

We’ll be in Elkins, WV on June 5th at 6pm with @wvcreativenetwork for a STAY for Dinner that will feature an open mic and a discussion on the importance of arts and culture work in building movements for a just, sustainable, and liberated Appalachia and what we need as young creatives and artists to STAY and organize in our communities! To receive the event details register at bit.ly/ElkinsS4D or at the link in our bio. See y’all there✨✨

So You Want To Build a Music Career in WV with Brendan Gallagher of Born & Bred Music🎙️🎶 How can you build a sustainable music career in West Virginia? What does it take to adapt, grow, and keep creating in an ever-changing industry? 🤔 Join us for the next “So You Want To…” session as Brendan shares the story behind Born & Bred Music. We’ll talk about the realities of being a musician in Appalachia, the qualities that help artists grow, and why adaptability matters now more than ever. 📅 May 20, 2026 🕛 12:00–1:00 pm 💻 Online via Google Meet 🎥 Register to attend live OR receive the recording later! $5 to attend || Free for WVCN Members Not a member yet? Now's the time! 🔗 Registration + membership links are in our bio. #WVCN #WVCreativeNetwork #WVArtists #yesWV #WVMusic

We are incredibly honored to share that our Executive Director, Renée Margocee, and WVCN board member Adam Hodges of the West Virginia State University Extension Service were presented with the Outstanding Contribution to the Arts Award at the 105th Annual Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber Gala. 🩵✨ This recognition reflects the power of partnership and a shared belief that the arts are essential to thriving communities. We are deeply grateful to the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber for this honor and thankful for our partnership with the West Virginia State University Extension Service. At the center of our collaboration with WVSU Extension is Robby Moore’s role as Arts Extension Educator. Robby’s work sits at the intersection of community development and the arts, helping connect people and resources in ways that allow us to serve communities across West Virginia in a truly meaningful way. Through this partnership and programs like Ripple and the Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship, we’ve been able to support creative entrepreneurs, strengthen community connections, and help communities see the arts as a powerful tool for growth and possibility. 🏞️🙌 #WVCreativeNetwork #WVCN #WVArts #SupportWVartists #yesWV

WVCN has a big day planned for tomorrow at Bridging Innovation in Morgantown! 👀 Here's a throwback pic to last year's conference 🤗✨ We’re kicking things off at Bridging Innovation Week with an interactive session: WV’s Creative Economy: How to Use the West Virginia Creative Network to Collaborate With Artists Across Our State 🕚 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Come learn, connect, and explore how artists + communities can work together across WV 🤝 Artists from the Heart of Appalachia 📍 Monongalia Arts Center + The Retail Lab 🎨 4:00 – 9:00 pm Join us for an evening celebrating creatives + supporting arts organizations doing important work in our state! 💪 Don’t miss a reading from 2025 WVCN Literary Arts Fellow Tucker Riggleman @focus_your_iris at 6:00 pm at the MAC✍️ #WVcreativenetwork #WVCN #CreativeEconomy #AppalachianArtists #SupportWVArtists #BridgingInnovation

Scraps saved. Stories stitched. Community rediscovered. 🪡 This month's Storytelling Newsletter features WVCN member, Carolyn Helenski of CJ Sews — an artist transforming vintage textiles into one-of-a-kind pieces. She shares how her creative practice evolved from late nights sewing alone to rediscovering the power of community. Read the full story 🔗✨ link is in our bio!

✨🙌THIS EVENING 🙌✨ Join us tonight from 6–7 pm for So You Want To Create Your Own Retail Opportunities with Lauren Kemp + Denise Poole of RenewAll Inc. If you’ve been thinking about selling your work in a retail space, hosting a pop-up, or creating your own retail space—this one’s for you. 👀 Join us live or sign up to catch the recording later ➡️🔗 Link is in our bio! Free for WVCN members 🌟 Only $5 for non-members 👍 #WVcreativenetwork #WVCN #yesWV #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtisticGrowth

🚨 Happening tomorrow at 6 pm! 🚨 Got an idea for selling your work, but not sure where to start? So You Want To Create Your Own Retail Opportunities is for you 🛍️ Lauren Kemp and Denise Poole of RenewAll Inc are breaking down how they’re creating creative retail opportunities for artists in Huntington - and how you can do the same. ✨ Pop-ups ✨ Retail spaces ✨ Creative ways to get your work in front of people Free for members | $5 for non-members Save your spot or register to receive the recording! 🔗 /events/wvcn/2116060 #WVCN #WVcreativenetwork #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtisticGrowth #yesWV

Your monthly "hey... you should apply to that" nudge is here! 👀📨 April's Opportunities Newsletter is full of ways for you to fund, show, sell, and share your work. Check out this month's edition through the link in our bio 📰