Nov. 19, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Creators Program rings in the holidays with “Under the Tree” event

INSTITUTE, W.Va.–Do your holiday shopping with local artisans and entrepreneurs at “Creators Under the Tree” Dec. 6 from 6-8 p.m. at West Virginia State University’s Economic Development Center (EDC). The event is part of the Creators Program, a workshop series focusing on Arts initiatives related to the state’s creative economy sector.

“This event is a first for the Creators Program, and we’re very excited about ringing in the holiday season with a celebration of local talent,” said Jenny Fertig, program leader for Community and Economic Development with WVSU Extension Service. “This is a perfect opportunity to support local business while marking a few gifts off the holiday shopping list.”

The Arts Council of Kanawha Valley will hold its Arts Social during the event, a networking opportunity for the region’s creative entrepreneurs. Local authors and music artists will be on hand to discuss, sign and sell copies of their work.

“The creators participating in this event aren’t just talking about making things happen; these are real entrepreneurs doing it for themselves,” said Eric Douglas, a Charleston-based author who teaches workshops on self-publishing for the Creators Program. Douglas will be selling copies of his novels during the event. “We’re bringing our wares together to make your Christmas shopping easier.”

The Creators Program is a spinoff of WVSU’s DigiSo initiative, a digital and social media incubator based out of the EDC. Recent workshops have focused on filmmaking, production, writing, music and other topics taught by local professionals. Workshops will continue through the spring.

There is no cost to attend Creators Under the Tree. More information is available on the DigiSo website at www.digiso.org. WVSU’s EDC is located at 1506 Kanawha Boulevard West.

West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, WV. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.

-WVSU-