ArtWalk

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Downtown Charleston ArtWalk will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Visit www.charlestonartwalk.com.

Bead artist

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Jena Lane Blair, lamp work artist and designer of Fenton USA's handcrafted glass beads, will demonstrate beadmaking at two Adams Hallmark locations Friday and Saturday.

A sneak preview of Glassato beads for spring 2012 will be available for purchase during the events. "Glassato" is the term used to describe sparkling coralene glass attached to multihued beads. Fenton recently introduced new bead designs that include styles for Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and patriotic occasions.

Meet Blair from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Adams Hallmark, 202 RHL Blvd., Dudley Farms Plaza, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Adams Hallmark, 525 Huntington Mall, Barboursville.

Tamarack holidays

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- During December, juried Tamarack artisans continue to work in the studios onsite and in specified locations throughout the facility on weekends. Book authors sign West Virginia-oriented works, and St. Nick greets guests from noon until 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

Resident artists in December include textiles by Elaine Bliss, Robby Moore, wood by Tish and Greg Westman, pottery by Rod and Paula Queen and glass by John Desmeules (hot glass) and Dough Coleman (etched glass).

Artisan demonstrations:

Today: Dewain Gregory, carved figurines; Jamey Biggs, pottery

Dec. 16-18: Jamey Biggs, pottery; Lambros Tshulares, pottery

Dec. 21-24: Tatiana Rakhmanina, milliner

Dec. 22-24: Frances Boone, aprons; June Wiley, dried flowers

Dec. 30 and 31: V.E. Lilly, coin rings

Authors Adda Leah Davis, "Lucinda's Mountain," will be at Tamarack Friday, and Marlene Woods, "Rudolph Has the Flu," will be present on Saturday.

Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia, exit 45 off Interstate 77, Beckley. 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily. Tamarack will close at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and will be closed Christmas Day. Contact www.tamarackwv.com or 888-262-7225.

Parkersburg Art Center

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. -- The Parkersburg Art Center presents "The Splendor of Regionalism, The Decorative Arts of the Ohio Valley 1800-1870" through Dec. 30.

The exhibit, curated by David Derenberger, features items on loan from the Ohio History Center and private collections.

"It offers a unique opportunity to view early-19th-century western Virginia and Ohio territory decorative arts in a gallery setting," Derenberger said. He said the history of most of the pieces can be traced from when they were made to present-day ownership.

Parkersburg Art Center, 725 Market St., Parkersburg, WV 26101. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission $5 for adult nonmembers, free for members. www.parkersburgartcenter.org. Contact 304-485-3859 or i...@parkersburgartcenter.org.

Arts Council

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Arts Council of Kanawha Valley will host Arts Social, a networking event open to all artists of all genres and those working in the arts, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Art Store, 1013 Bridge Road. The event is free of charge and refreshments will be served.

Attendees are encouraged to drop off art supplies at the event or at the Arts Council, 229 Capitol St. The donated art supplies will be given to the Charleston Boys & Girls Clubs in January. Supplies will be accepted until Jan. 6 at the office.

Visit www.artskv.org or contact Naomi Bays na...@artskv.org or 304-807-2787.

The Art Emporium

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston artist Thorney Lieberman will be featured at The Art Emporium with "Photographs Charleston." An opening reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday during ArtWALK.

The Art Emporium, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 823 Quarrier St., Charleston; www.artemporium.net or 304-345-2787.

FesitvALL

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Applications for the 2012 FestivALL Capitol Street Art Fair are now available online at www.festivallcharleston.com. The fair will be held June 23 and 24. This is a juried fair that is dedicated to fine art and fine craft. Early deadline for applications is Feb. 1, and the final deadline is March 1. To receive an application by mail, contact Betty Rivard at 304-364-8972 or bettyriv...@yahoo.com.

Portraits sought

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is seeking entries for a juried art exhibition with the theme "Portraits of Historic West Virginia Figures" at the Culture Center. Entries must be postmarked no later than Dec. 27. The show will be the final installation in the "Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions." The exhibition will open in February in the State Museum.

The exhibition is open to all West Virginia artists whose historic figure portrait submissions can be hung from a wall. Eligible entries include works created in the past two years in the areas of painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, mixed media and crafts/wall hangings.

Entrants must be 18 or older and current residents of and maintaining permanent residence in West Virginia. Exceptions may be made for students and military personnel with West Virginia resident status and a home address within the geographical boundaries of the state.

Artists may submit two entries for the exhibition with a limit of two slides or digital images per entry. Entry forms and properly identified slides or digital images must be mailed to West Virginia Department of Culture and History, "Inspired: Portraits of West Virginia Historic Figures" exhibition, The Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25305-0300, anytime from now to a postmark date no later than Dec. 27, or hand-delivered to the Culture Center no later than 5 p.m. Dec. 27. Submissions may not exceed 7 feet in any direction or 1 foot in depth.

Entrants also must have completed a WVDCH Artists' Register form and submitted six slides or a CD with digital images representative of their current work for the file at the division. The slides previously submitted for the Artists' Register are not used in jurying entries into the exhibition and will not be returned to the artists. The completed Artists' Register form and six images of current work also are due on Dec. 27.

The division will present $1,000 for the Best in Show, which is a purchase award that will become part of the state collection. A second place ($500) and third place ($250) award also will be presented. These are not purchase awards. The prizes will be awarded at the opening reception in February.

Only after the juror has selected the show will artists be required to deliver their art. Entry forms for the Artists' Register and the "Inspired: A West Virginia Series of Juried Exhibitions" can be downloaded from www.wvculture.org/museum/exhibits.html.

Call Betty Gay at 304-558-0220, ext. 128.

Preservation calendar

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office has published "Transportation in the Mountain State by Water, Road, Rail and Air," a 13-month calendar highlighting how the state's mountainous terrain, abundant rivers, narrow valleys and dense forests have challenged its people and industries.

To request a calendar, write to West Virginia Division of Culture and History, 2012 Calendar, The Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd E., Charleston, WV 25305 or contact Conni McMorris at 304-558-0240 or conni.l.mcmor...@wv.gov.

The calendar was funded in part by the National Park Service.

Arts Notes submissions

To have your announcement included in Arts Notes, email sara.bu...@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.

When submitting information, please include the following:

WHO: Artist's name and a short biography.

WHAT: Name of exhibit and a brief description.

WHEN: Dates exhibit runs.

WHERE: Gallery name, address and hours the gallery is open.

When emailing, please put the copy in a form that can be copied and pasted -- it's not only easier for us, but it ensures your information will be just as you intend.

If you are sending photos, here are a few tips: