The new West Virginia State Museum Shop featuring Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia is open. The 1,700 square foot shop is located on the north side of the Great Hall in the Culture Center beside the entrance to the Archives Library.
The shop features a selection of West Virginia juried artist and artisan products from Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia and West Virginia State Museum souvenirs and collectibles.
“Opening the shop adds another dimension and opportunities for visitors at the State Capitol Complex,” said West Virginia Division of Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith. “We are pleased to have a selection of items that guests can purchase as mementos of their museum tour and to offer fine West Virginia arts and crafts for sale to West Virginians and out of state visitors.”
“The Museum Shop will be another wonderful opportunity for people to discover handcrafted West Virginia arts and crafts,” said Cheryl Hartley, general manager of Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia. “More and more people are looking to local arts and crafts for gifts and personal collections, so we believe the new shop will be popular.”
Sandy Eads, shop manager, said visitors will be pleased with the variety in the shop. “We have a wonderful opportunity here to showcase the creativity and quality work of state artists and artisans,” said Eads, who was formerly the store manager for Showcase West Virginia in Charleston.
The shop will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It will be closed on Monday. The shop will coordinate with the West Virginia Division of Culture and History to have extended hours during special events.
From Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia, the shop features West Virginia artists and craftspeople and includes gourmet food products, books, music, prints, note cards, toys, games, dolls, glass, jewelry, pottery, textiles, wood and basketry.
West Virginia State Museum souvenirs and collectibles include t-shirts, mugs, coal figurines, magnets, postcards and Civil War collectible items.
The staff at the shop will be able to prepare custom packages and gift boxes for customers. Also, they will have access to the Tamarack inventory in Beckley to place special orders or request additional products.
For more information, call Eads at 304-205-7911.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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