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.
“Joe loved that student art was creative,” Mrs. Hestick said. “He was fascinated by art, and he loved that students were being exposed to it. It was something beyond the borders of what he grew up doing.”
After Mr. Hestick’s passing in 2016, Mrs. Hestick went to work on funding the Master Printmaking Series.
“Joe and I shared a love of printmaking and the process behind the art,” Mrs. Hestick said. “I also respect Printmaking Professor Joe Lupo and his vision for the program at WVU. This felt like the right program to honor Joe through.”
Lupo took care of the logistics of the series. He brought in printmaker Brandon Sanderson for the inaugural event. Sanderson is an associate professor at University of North Carolina Pembroke. He spent three days with students giving talks, critiquing works and creating with students.
“I thought Brandon was a great pick for the first artist in the series,” said Mrs. Hestick, who attended many of the activities around Sanderson’s visit. “He was well prepared to work with students and you could tell the students heard him. They were excited to have him there.”
Mrs. Hestick hopes above all else, students walk away from the series with an urge to look beyond what they know and always stay curious.
“Joe grew up in West Virginia and had one of the classic jobs as a coal miner,” Mrs. Hestick said. “He worked underground for 33 years, but that didn’t stop him from being curious. He was always curious and he stayed curious. That’s an important part of life.”
To contribute to the fund for the Master Printmaking Series in Memory of Joe Hestick, visit https://give.wvu.edu/art-and-design