Travel
Made in the Mountains
Visitors will find West Virginia’s heritage of fine crafts on display throughout the state.
August 2013 Issue
BY Amy S. Eckert | ART BY
August 2013 Issue
BY Amy S. Eckert | ART BY
Some people credit West Virginia’s scenic beauty for the state’s rich arts heritage. The lavender-gray hues of an Appalachian sunset might well have inspired artists to craft brilliant hand-blown glass pieces or to paint muted watercolor landscapes. Others speculate that it was West Virginia’s isolation that drove budding musicians to their grandparents’ porch for evening fiddle lessons and Sunday afternoon hymn sings. Still others wonder whether it was primarily the poverty faced by those early Mountain State pioneers that motivated them to transform worn clothing into quilts and finely woven rag rugs.
Whatever the reasons, travelers from across the country look to West Virginia for some of the nation’s finest crafts: hand-woven scarves and baskets; finely carved hickory furniture; brilliant blown glass; intricately stitched quilts. Here’s where to find the best. To read more, click here to subscribe. >>