*Photography by Michelle Waters at the 2025 Piccalilli Conference*

Mark your calendars - on September 18, the Parkersburg Art Center is teaming up with the Arts Collaborative of the Mid-Ohio Valley and Clutch Collective to host the Parkersburg Piccalilli Artists' Conference: Artists Take Over with Relish! For one day, these three organizations are coming together to celebrate the fifth year of connecting artists from across West Virginia and Ohio, from college students and art dabblers to seasoned professionals.

The conference is open to working artists, art educators, college students, emerging creatives, arts organizations, and those who simply enjoy making things. Sessions cover grant opportunities, financial planning, marketing your work, and public art projects, alongside hands-on workshops in fiber arts, pottery, three-dimensional design, and a collaborative poetry and photography project. Breakfast and lunch are included for all attendees.

The Parkersburg Art Center is thrilled to welcome nationally recognized West Virginia illustrator and author Rosalie Haizlett as this year’s keynote speaker. Her nature-inspired work has been commissioned by the Smithsonian, The Washington Post, Patagonia, Audubon, and more, and she's taught over 60,000 students. She'll also team up with local naturalist and illustrator Julie Zickefoose for a Nature Illustration workshop.

Other workshop highlights include Lauri Reidmiller teaching coil basket weaving, Harrison Walker from Fairmont State leading a collaborative alley mural prep session, and Mark Hackworth and Deni Naffziger pairing photography and poetry for a project called Words & Images.

On the business side, Robby Moore of the WV Creative Network will cover networking strategies, a panel of grant readers will share what makes applications stand out, and Jenna Green of the WV Department of Tourism will walk through tourism and arts grants, with additional workshops in the planning stages as well as a variety of optional lunch hour activities.

The day wraps up with Art After Hours, a public celebration featuring the opening reception for the Allied Artists of West Virginia Exhibition, Ko No Kasia Bonsai Exhibit, and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore Redesign Competition.

Smaller communities don't always have easy access to professional development tailor-made for creatives, and that's the gap the Parkersburg Art Center aims to fill.

Registration is on a sliding fee scale. Register by September 15 at https://www.parkersburgartcenter.org/upcomingcurrent-events. For more information, contact the Parkersburg Art Center at info@parkersburgartcenter.org.