Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center

Thanks to the success of the workshops held in June, Tamarack Artist and Fairmont State alumna D. Jane Gilchrest returns to the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on August 1 and 2 to present a second round of “Mug Ruggin It”, an introductory weaving workshop in the style of traditional Appalachian rag rugs.  

Do your children like to act out stories? Do they sit around the table and swap tall-tales?  If so, sign them up for camp. The Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center is partnering with the Fairmont State University Academy for the Arts for Putting It Together: Building a Show from Local Stories and Lore. This week-long creative day-camp for children in grades 3 to 8 runs June 18 – 22. It features instruction in acting, storytelling, folklore, music, writing, and local history.

Have you always wanted to try weaving?  The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center is proud to partner with Tamarack Artist and Fairmont State alumna D. Jane Gilchrest to present “Mug Ruggin It”, a weaving workshop in the style of traditional Appalachian rag rugs.  Join us on Wednesday, June 27 at the Folklife Center on the campus of Fairmont State University for a two-hour introductory class.  

In 1881, the first member of the Moore family, Ira Corwin Moore, enrolled in Fairmont State Normal School. More than 135 years later, the family continues to be closely connected to Fairmont State University and the culture and heritage of Appalachia.  

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center’s new exhibition, “Always Here: Native Americans in West Virginia,” opens Thursday, February 22, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Folklife Center on the campus of Fairmont State University. At 5 p.m., after a brief welcome from exhibition curator and the center’s interim director, Pat Musick, Lakota elder Bob Pirner will give a traditional invocation.

Professor Miles Leeson of the University of Chichester, UK will present a lecture, “Flesh/Flash: Novels, Navels, and Encoding Friendship” on Tuesday, February 20 at 4:00 p.m. in the Folklife Center, according to Dr. Angela Schwer, Chair of the Department of Language and Literature.

As part of the Introduction to Folk Music class taught by Lynette Swiger, a traditional dance night will be held on Thursday, Nov. 16, in the Great Room of Cultures at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. The public is encouraged to attend, and admission is free.

As part of the Introduction to Folk Music class taught by Lynette Swiger, a folk music concert featuring Kim Johnson and Bobby Taylor is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, in The Great Room of Cultures at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. The public is invited to attend and admission is free. Additionally, the Kennedy Barn String Band will provide pre-concert music for the enjoyment of early arrivals.

Kestrel: A Journal of Literature and Art and the Fairmont State University Department of Language and Literature will host a two-day Celebration of Issue 36 featuring nine Kestrel writers on March 31 and April 1.

Events will be located in Jaynes Hall and the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on the FSU campus and at the community coffeehouse, Joe ‘n Throw, 323 ½ Adams St., Fairmont.

On Friday, March 31, three day-time events are free and open to the public: