Contact: Jack Bailey (304) 766-4109 jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
BECKLEY, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Agent Christine Kinder is part of a group of community members in Beckley, West Virginia, who have been hard at work creating artistic opportunities for the city, culminating in BEX Arts Week, a five-day festival devoted to connecting community members through creative experiences. The weeklong festival kicked off September 20 and runs through September 25.
Free events include an oddities and curiosities fair, showcase for local up-and-coming musicians, a Bob Ross-inspired paint pop-up, yoga class and human library workshop, in which instead of books, participants “check out” people and listen to their experiences with racism or LBGTQ+ discrimination.
“We want to offer unique art experiences to the community that no one else in the area is doing,” said Kinder.
Other offerings include an introduction to Holga photography class, an intensive one-day filmmaking workshop and a course that teaches tintype photography, a vintage photo technique from the mid to late 1800s that develops pictures onto thin metal plates (which inspired the name, although iron was mainly used instead of tin). Each of the photography and film workshops cost $30 with all materials provided.
Past events have included local artwork being projected onto downtown city buildings in Beckley and a camera obscura workshop.
Kinder and her colleagues created an underground art scene-inspired, eclectic “zine” (short for magazine) to promote BEX Arts Week, as well as a revamp of Beckley’s area guide, which was renamed “Lifestyle.”
BEX Arts Week was formed in 2019 by a small group of community leaders and artists including Kinder, Shane Pierce, Saja Montague and Jared Kaplan to provide unique art experiences for Beckley residents while showcasing the immense pool of talent located in the town.
BEX Arts Week is achieved through collaborative efforts between individuals, organizations, businesses and artists, with a shared goal of creative community development. For more information about BEX Arts Week, visit bexwv.com.
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