February 1, 2019

 News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) and Governor Jim Justice announced the winners of the Almost Heaven Inaugural Governor’s Art Exhibition in a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 1 at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston.

Awards were given out to Best of Show and 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in three categories: elementary school, middle school and high school. Winners received Utrecht Art Supplies gift cards in the amounts of $100, $50 and $25. One hundred eighty-four accepted entries from 39 schools in 22 counties will be on display. A list of the winners is below.

All West Virginia students in grades K-12 were invited to participate in the show. Designed to showcase student creativity and the arts, this year’s exhibition called for one-of-a-kind postcard designs that features a favorite place or activity in West Virginia. Selected postcard artwork will be used by the West Virginia Tourism Office to personally invite travelers to Almost Heaven. The artwork was accepted in the following mediums: painting, printmaking, digital art, drawing, photography and mixed media.

The Almost Heaven Inaugural Governor’s Art Exhibition will be on display at the State Capitol in Charleston until Aug. 9, 2019.

For more information about the exhibit, contact Cailin Howe, WVDACH exhibits coordinator, at Cailin.A.Howe@wv.gov or (304) 58-0220.

Almost Heaven Inaugural Governor’s Art Exhibition Winners:

Best in Show
Nathan Landers, Stonewall Jackson Middle School, Kanawha County, Capitol

Elementary School
1st Place: Maddie Barker, Frankford Elementary, Greenbrier County, A Walk in the Woods
2nd Place: Dickinson Gould, Sacred Heart Grade School, Kanawha County, Floating the Gorge
3rd Place: James R. Bragg, Jr., Ravenswood Grade School, Jackson County, Capitol

Middle School
1st Place: Nathan Landers, Stonewall Jackson Middle School, Kanawha County, Capitol
2nd Place: Charlie Musselwhite, Morgan Academy, Jefferson County, West Va. Rivers
3rd Place: Isaiah Parker, Matewan PK-8, Mingo County, Untitled

High School
1st Place: Garrett Cantrell, Herbert Hoover High School, Kanawha County, Spruce Knob
2nd Place: Jaden Schofield, St. Marys High School, Pleasants County, Cass Scenic Railroad
3rd Place: Jasmine Birdsell, Grafton High School, Taylor County, Rhododendron

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PHOTOGRAPH CUTLINES:
Photo 1: Almost Heaven Inaugural Governor’s Art Exhibition Awards Ceremony. Left to Right: Governor Jim Justice’s Chief of Staff Mike Hall; Isaiah Parker, Matewan PK-8; James R. Bragg, Jr., Ravenswood Grade School; Nathan Landers, Stonewall Jackson Middle School; Jaden Schofield, St. Marys High School; Garrett Cantrell, Herbert Hoover High School; Charlie Musselwhite, Morgan Academy; WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith. Photograph courtesy of Stephen Brightwell.

Photo 2:Almost Heaven Inaugural Governor’s Art Exhibition. Photograph courtesy of Stephen Brightwell, WVDACH.