Dear friends, 

Welcome back to the Art in the Libraries newsletter! 

Since joining West Virginia University Libraries in 2017, I’ve been so grateful for the spaces and projects we’ve created together—where ideas, creativity, and conversation collide. Especially now, having spaces to challenge, inspire, and delight feels more important than ever. 

And we’ve been busy since our last newsletter. 

Impact Beyond the Walls 

Each show invites you to look closer, think bigger, and maybe roll your eyes at assumptions you didn’t even know you had. 

With a background in art, art history, and feminist theory, I see exhibitions as conversations; maybe as whispers, sometimes with shouting, and occasionally by throwing a little glitter your way. Conversations like these should be accessible to all. 

The Art in the Libraries Committee is always striving to make these programs accessible and inclusive through interactive elements and creating opportunities for many voices to be seen and heard. Our Artificial Intelligence (AI) exhibit now features an audio tour available on YouTube, created by Nicole Fuller, Art in the Libraries committee member and captioner from the WVU Office of Accessibility Services. We’re also excited that the exhibit will travel to WVU-Beckley Campus Library next summer! 

We’re far from perfect, but we try our best, and we’re always open to your ideas! 

Art in the Libraries Receives Statewide Recognition 

🌿 Land matters. Archives matter. Who gets to speak matters. 

This year, Art in the Libraries was honored with the 2025 West Virginia Association of Museums Innovative Programming Award for the Indigenous Appalachia traveling exhibit. Originally launched in Morgantown in 2022, the exhibition has traveled regionally, sparking reflection and dialogue on the complexity and richness of Indigenous presence in Appalachia. A few years ago, I had the honor of co-creating Indigenous Appalachia alongside Indigenous scholars and artists from across the region. It feels especially meaningful to recognize the artists, curators, and community members who made this project possible. The full exhibit content—including information on all 15 featured artists—is available online: 🌐 Check it out. 

Part of the exhibition remains semi-permanently installed in WVU’s Downtown Library—including the land acknowledgement and artist profile banner—serving as daily reminders to students, researchers, and visitors that this work is ongoing, not a past event.

 

Alumni Exhibition — Submissions Open!

The window to submit for our upcoming WVU Alumni exhibition, “Reflecting on Freedom: 250 Years Through the Eyes of WVU Alumni Artists,” is open until  December 31.

Debuting next year, this exhibition will explore the layered meanings of freedom and independence—and all the possibilities, critiques, and contradictions that come with them.