A coal miner by trade, Joe Hestick loved the world of art. Mr. Hestick’s love of art and education is why Beth Hestick decided to fund the Master Printmaking Series in Memory of Joe Hestick. 

Mrs. Hestick started taking printmaking classes at West Virginia University School of Art & Design nearly 10 years ago. Mr. Hestick would would attend lectures and openings and particularly enjoyed viewing student work.

A West Virginia native who earned a BA and an MA from West Virginia University School of Art & Design, Myles wanted to establish the fund because of her experiences as an art teacher around the state after graduating from WVU and leaving Morgantown.

“Early in my teaching career, I was the only art teacher in my schools,” Myles said. “There was little or no feedback for idea exchange and those were years well before the internet.”

High school students interested in a career in the art industry can gain feedback and insight from universities and colleges from around the region when West Virginia University plays host to National Portfolio Day on Oct. 28.

National Portfolio Days are annual events held across the United States, Canada and Europe and provide a unique opportunity for students to meet individually with professional representatives of accredited colleges and universities to receive feedback before submitting their portfolio as part of their application for admission. 

“The conference is a valuable tool to educators looking to learn more about trending topics in art education and new artmaking activities,” said Teri Giobbia, assistant professor of art education and visual arts therapy at WVU. “From hands-on artmaking workshops to lectures, teachers will be provided with useful skills and concepts they can use to better their curriculum."

More than 40 art workshops will be presented throughout the two-day conference held at WVU’s Creative Arts Center and Art Museum on the Evansdale Campus.

Students in the West Virginia University School of Art & Design are encouraged to engage the world as a fertile ground for art making and critical research through the School’s Global Positioning Studies program. For seven years, students have learned about art and art history through regional travel in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, to sites across the U.S. including Jackson Hole, New York City, Hawaii and Maine, to global study in France, Chile, China and other locales. This year, a preservation studies program in San Gemini, Italy was added to the list of GPS programs. 

The San Gemini Preservation Studies GPS is a four-week series of courses, field projects and place-based experiences run through the San Gemini Preservation Studies International Institute for Restoration and Preservation Studies.

From mainstage plays to large music ensemble concerts and art exhibitions to visiting artist lectures and student recitals, the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts’ 800-plus students and 100 faculty members present hundreds of events throughout the year. From September through April, the College will host The Curiosity Series, 25 events that are a chance for fans of one genre of music to listen to another or to attend a lecture on an arts topic that holds interest for them.

“We know that people are curious about the arts, but we also know that the arts can be intimidating so people typically stick to what they know,” said Keith Jackson, interim dean. “People know what to expect at a rock show – they may not know what to expect at a wind symphony concert or a visiting artist lecture, so they shy away from attending. We want our community members to have an open mind and try something they have been curious about.”