Call for Artists: Lost Towns of the Mon RFQ

Woodlands Development Group (Woodlands), is seeking professional artists to design and create original artwork for a Lost Towns of the Mon permanent art collection in the newly-rehabilitated Tygart Hotel in Elkins, WV. Final pieces will be related to the history, location, and both past and current conditions of five ghost towns in the Monongahela National Forest.

Woodlands’ work in affordable housing and community development has focused on the small towns of Randolph, Barbour, and Tucker counties since 1995. We support our communities in their journeys to achieve their goals and become or remain healthy, viable, and sustainable communities for all residents. The Tygart Hotel project was undertaken at the behest of the Elkins/Randolph community and as a community organization we strive for the final product to reflect the rich cultural history and strong local flavor of communities in this area by engaging local artists to interpret the stories and history of a diverse set of five Ghost Towns in the footprint of the surrounding Monongahela National Forest.

The Lost Towns of the Mon is a two-part project designed to engage both local residents and visitors to inspire interest, exploration throughout the local area, and a deeper awareness of our cultural heritage. The Lost Towns project will explore the extent and definitions of diversity – socio economic, occupational, and cultural – that existed through past generations, and celebrate the rich artistic traditions that exist here today with direct connections to these lost communities. Through a combination of maps, photos, interpretation, and original art the projects will create an emotional connection to an almost forgotten past and promote a strategy for knowing, caring, and then learning from our past.

The project is open to all professional artists, ages 16+. Artists from Randolph, Tucker, and Barbour county and/or the broader West Virginia community are strongly encouraged to submit proposals.

Full RFQ documents are available here or by request at [email protected]

Lost Towns RFQ

May 5, 2023

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Download RFQ (pdf)