May quilt show

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Entries are now being taken for the 2013 Quilts and Wall Hangings juried exhibition, opening May 24 in the Great Hall of the Culture Center, on the state Capitol campus.

Quilt prospectuses and entry forms may be obtained at www.wvculture.org or contact Betty Gay at Betty.G....@wv.gov or call 304-558-0220, ext. 128.

Charles Ott at Taylor's

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The art work of Lincoln county artist Charles Ott will be featured through mid-March at the Annex Gallery at Taylor Books.

Ott studied art at the York Academy of the Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art from 1968 to 1970. He quickly realized impressionism was his calling and he has been mastering this style for 40 years.

His scenes are inspired by the Branchland region of Lincoln County and by a small fishing village in Mexico that he has frequented for the past 15 years.

Annex Gallery at Taylor Books, 226 Capitol St., Charleston. Hours 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Contact gall...@taylorbooks.com or 304-342-1461. Visit www.taylorbooks.com.

Taylor show closing

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Grace Martin Taylor exhibition closes Feb. 28 at The Art Store in the Bridge Road Shops.

Upcoming spring shows include new works by Helen Chilton beginning March 9; Ellie Schaul's new work will be on display in late April; and the season will round out with a two-person show of works by Katherine Cox and Jonathan Cox.

The Art Store, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1013 Bridge Road, Charleston; www.theartstorewv.com or 304-345-1038.

FestivALL deadlines

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Applications are being accepted for the 2013 FestivALL Capitol Street Art Fair, taking place June 29 and 30. The juried fair is dedicated to fine arts and crafts. The final postmark deadline is March 1. For the application packet, go to www.festivallcharleston.com/ or contact Betty Rivard at bettyriv...@yahoo.com or 304-364-8972.

History of Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Billy Joe Peyton will give a free talk titled "The History of Charleston" at 6 p.m. March 5 in the Archives and History Library at the Culture Center.

Through words and images, Peyton will share glimpses of Charleston's history, which spans 225 years, starting with the founding of Fort Lee at the mouth of the Elk River in 1788. The presence of abundant natural resources such as salt, timber and coal helped Charleston grow into a busy river town of more than 1,000 by 1860, when it was occupied alternately by Union, Confederate and then Union forces during the Civil War.

Peyton is associate professor of history at West Virginia State University, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in history from West Virginia University.

For planning purposes, attendees are encouraged to register for the lecture, but advance registration is not required. To register in advance, contact Bobby Taylor, library manager, at Bobby.L.Tay...@wv.gov or 304-558-0230, ext. 163.

Local artist in Wheeling

WHEELING, W.Va. -- The photographs of Charleston resident Deborah Herndon will be featured in a new show at Artworks Around Town, 2200 Market St., Wheeling. Each month Artworks has two new shows open in their galleries on the first Friday of the month.

The nonprofit cooperative is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays.

Picasso show in Chicago

CHICAGO -- The Art Institute of Chicago has a new major exhibition of works by Pablo Picasso.

The museum is celebrating the Spanish artist and his relationship with the city. "Picasso and Chicago" features 250 works -- nearly half of the museum's own Picasso collection along with pieces from private collections and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It's the Chicago museum's first major Picasso exhibition in three decades.

The Art Institute was the first museum in the nation to feature Picasso's work a century ago in 1913. This exhibit features paintings, drawings, works on paper, ceramics and sculptures.

The exhibit is open through May 12. It is accompanied by related exhibitions throughout the Art Institute's other galleries.

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.