The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History will open a new exhibition at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at 2 p.m. with a reception and awards ceremony.

This exhibit, titled West Virginia Historic Figures, is the fourth and final installation of Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions. The Inspired Series of exhibitions was created in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026 to highlight the state’s contributions to the country, and has featured visual representations of West Virginia landscapes, historic buildings and structures, wildlife, and historic and prominent West Virginians. 

Nineteen West Virginia artists, representing 11 counties, were selected for the West Virginia Historic Figures show, which features 28 pieces, including photography, drawing, painting, mixed media and textile. Prominent West Virginians highlighted in the exhibit include educator and author Booker T. Washington, record-setting test pilot Chuck Yeager, mathematician and NASA trailblazer Katherine Johnson, renowned writer and Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck, famed actress Jennifer Garner, and more.

“I am thrilled to see this exhibit come to fruition. It is the culmination of tremendous hard work on the part of the artists who are featured and on the part of staff members at the State Museum who have put it all together,” said Ennis Smith, Acting Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Arts, Culture, and History.

The opening reception and awards ceremony are free and open to the public. The exhibit will remain on display in the Commissioner’s Gallery at the Culture Center until Sept. 5, 2025.

For more information, contact Sidney Duncan, Exhibits Coordinator for the Department, at (304) 558-0220 or [email protected].