Appalachian spring wildflower art exhibit opens at Tamarack and viewable online

Danielle Sandler
·2 min read

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The Youth Arts in the Parks (YAP) 2024 Appalachian Spring Wildflower Art Exhibit is now available to view at the Tamarack Marketplace and online.

Green Bank Observatory invited the public to view the solar eclipse

The public can come see how local students welcome in the season by displaying their ecology and creativity through art. This contest was open to all students from Fayette, Mercer, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers Counties, who attended grades K through 12. Students learned about wildflowers in the region and Appalachian ecology using different art supplies, and even some digitally to create the local wildlife in the state (Digital Critters).

2024 youth artists at the Youth Arts in the Parks artist recognition ceremony at Tamarack Marketplace. NPS.
2024 youth artists at the Youth Arts in the Parks artist recognition ceremony at Tamarack Marketplace. NPS.

Creativity and talent came from over 200 participants for the 2024 year displaying works of art. The top 69 pieces are now on display at the Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley, showing from April 7, 2024 to May 6, 2024 and are featured in the Hulett C. Smith Theater.

Opening May 1, 2024, five Best in show pieces will be showcased in the The Life Art_quatic: Aquatic & Marine life spring gallery show opening May 1, 2024 in the David L. Dickirson Fine Art Gallery.

<em>Fish Out of Water</em>, an acrylic painting of Yellow Trout Lily © Elijah Bennett, 7<sup>th</sup> grade, Homeschool, Fayette County, 2024 Appalachian Spring Wildflower Art Contest – Best in Show overall.
Fish Out of Water, an acrylic painting of Yellow Trout Lily © Elijah Bennett, 7th grade, Homeschool, Fayette County, 2024 Appalachian Spring Wildflower Art Contest – Best in Show overall.

Tamarack Marketplace operates Wednesdays through Mondays, with Tuesdays being closed, and opens from 9:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. You can now see this exhibit online here.

This exhibit is part of the 2024 Spring Nature Fling, which runs from mid-March through May. It highlights Central Appalachia’s beauty and wonders of nature. This event has many activities such as free guided hikes and talks with rangers and naturalists, nature inspired art projects, nature workshops, learning about regional plants through art, and much more.

All these programs will take place at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Tamarack Marketplace, Beckley Art Center, Love Hope Gallery, Active Southern West Virginia, Three Rivers Avian Center, Beckley, Fayetteville, Hinton, Oak Hill, and the West Virginia State Parks of Babcock, Bluestone, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield, Hawks Nest, Little Beaver, Pipestem Resort, and Twin Falls Resort.

Annual Research Festival to be held at Concord University

To View the event schedule, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.