Cross Lanes artist

WHEELING, W.Va. -- Jerre Watkins, of Cross Lanes, is a featured artist in March at Artworks Around Town, 2200 Market St., Center Market in Wheeling.

Watkins has a master's degree in fine arts, painting, from Marshall University. She works in watercolor and in varied and mixed media. She paints a variety of subject matter and style from realism to total abstraction.

"In recent years, the theme of my work has mostly focused on West Virginia landscape and rivers which provide an unlimited opportunity for expression," Watkins said.

She teaches workshops each year at Cedar Lakes in Ripley. And she has won awards at several shows, including Louisiana Watercolor Encounter, Allied Artists of West Virginia and Tri State Art Association. Her entry won Best of Show in the 2011 West Virginia Watercolor Society exhibit at the Parkersburg Art Center. She has had solo exhibits sponsored by the Governor's Office, Culture Center and the University of Charleston.

The Wheeling gallery, a nonprofit cooperative, is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Charleston photographer Deborah Herndon is also featured in March.

Preservation ideas

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office will hold 12 meetings across the state to get comments on the historic preservation comprehensive plan and ideas for the future direction of historic preservation efforts.

"We want to hear what the successes have been as well as the challenges so that we can develop new goals and objectives for the next five years," said Susan Pierce, deputy state historic preservation officer.

The most recent comprehensive plan was published in 2009; a new plan will be out by June 2014.

Meetings to be held include:

Charleston, 5 p.m. March 14, Education Room, Culture Center.

Williamson, 6 p.m. April 11, Mingo County Courthouse, County Commission Courtroom, 72 E. Second Ave.

Sutton, 5:30 p.m. May 13, Sutton Community Building, Fourth Street.

Ronceverte, 6 p.m. May 16, Ronceverte City Hall, Council Chamber, 200 W. Main St.

Fayetteville, 6 p.m. May 22, American Legion Post 149, 205 W. Maple Ave.

No prior registration is required to attend a meeting. Each meeting is scheduled to last 1 1/2 hours.

An online questionnaire also is available at www.wvculture.org/shpo/shpoindex.aspx. Paper copies can be requested by calling 304-558-0240.

For more information, contact John Adamik, education and planning coordinator, at 304-558-0240, ext. 122, or john.d.ada...@wv.gov.

Cornstalk talk

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Douglas McClure Wood will present "The Roots of Un-civil War: The 250th Anniversary of Cornstalk's Campaign" at 6 p.m. March 14 in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center. The program is free.

Wood will focus on the Shawnee warrior's 1763 campaign in the context of the larger war waged by Pontiac against the British colonies. Cornstalk was considered a brilliant military strategist whose coalition-building efforts, strategic planning, campaign coordination and battle tactics were followed 50 years later by another Shawnee, Tecumseh.

In response to Cornstalk's warfare, the Virginia frontiersmen learned to fight more like the Indians, skills that became useful in subsequent wars, including the Civil War.

Wood has researched 18th-century middle Appalachian cultures, with a particular focus on American Indian cultures of the Ohio Valley region. He also is a living-history character with the Humanities Council's History Alive! program, currently portraying Ostenaco, a Cherokee military leader who fought for three years against the French during the French and Indian War.

Participants are encouraged to register for the lecture by contacting Bobby Taylor, library manager, at Bobby.L.Tay...@wv.gov or at 304-558-0230, ext. 163.

Art auction for children

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Child Advocacy Network will hold a silent auction of artwork as a fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. April 18 during Charleston's ArtWalk. Romano & Associates will host the auction in Suite 200, 230 Capitol St.

The network is the state's coalition of children's advocacy centers, working to help communities better respond to child abuse allegations and to help abuse victims recover.

Any West Virginia visual artist 18 or older may submit one or two pieces. The theme of the event is "One with Courage."

Work must be for sale and submitted by April 12 and picked up by April 29. Proceeds from sales are split between the artist and the network.

Download forms at http://artskv.org/opportunities.

To view a video on the theme, visit wvcan.org and view the "One with Courage" campaign video. For questions, contact Emily Chittenden-Laird at wv.child.advocacy.netw...@gmail.com. To drop off art, contact Shawn Romano at srom...@ro-law.com.

Tamarack art exhibit

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- The fine-art exhibit "Color Wheel" opens at 3 p.m. March 24 with a public reception in the David L. Dickirson Fine Art Gallery at Tamarack. The show continues through May 30.

Open daily from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tamarack is located at exit 45 off Interstate 64/77. For details about events, conference center availability, daily menus, catering, shopping and more, call 888-262-7225 or visit tamarackwv.com.

Vatican astronomer

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The University of Charleston Speaker Series will feature the Rev. Christopher Corbally at 6:30 p.m. March 26 in Riggleman Hall's Geary Auditorium. He is president of the National Committee for Astronomy, Vatican City State.

The free event, titled "Star Wars: When Astronomy & Religion Meet," will focus on the connections between space and religion.

Corbally holds degrees in philosophy, physics, astronomy and theology. He has been a research astronomer of the Vatican Observatory since 1983.

The UC Speaker Series is in its 11th year and is sponsored by the Dow Chemical Foundation. It is open to the public.

Artisans to buyers show

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Tamarack Foundation selected nine West Virginia artisans to attend the Buyers Market of American Craft show Feb. 16-18 in Philadelphia. The artisans and their businesses are:

To have your announcement included in Arts Notes, email ea...@wvgazette.com or send it to Arts Notes, The Charleston Gazette, 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301. Artwork can be submitted electronically or by mail. Deadline for inclusion in the Sunday Gazette-Mail is the Tuesday before Sunday publication.