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Showcase Preserves Appalachian Art Forms

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By APRIL VITELLO, The Associated Press

Published: October 28, 2007

BECKLEY, W.Va. - Every year, as part of a family reunion in nearby Hinton, Jason Hellems and several relatives turn off the West Virginia Turnpike and into Tamarack for what they say is a unique shopping experience.

'We come for iced coffee and candles I get for my mother,' said Hellems, of Ypsilanti, Mich.

Standing outside Tamarack's art gallery, he added: 'But this is the first place I go.'

For 11 years, Tamarack, the state's one-of-a-kind artisan showcase, has lured travelers such as Hellems off Interstates 64 and 77, enticing them with its vaguely crownlike architecture - circular, with red points jutting from the roof. From the air, it resembles a traditional quilting star.

Thanks in part to location and being open every day but Dec. 25, Tamarack is one of the most-visited places in West Virginia, averaging 500,000 guests a year.

'I would say more than half of the people who come through the door have been here before, plan a trip on the way to another destination ... or use this attraction as part of a destination vacation in southern West Virginia,' marketing director Cindy Whitlock said.

More than 20,000 items are on display, ranging from roosters made of car parts to jewelry made of cactus fly larva and, naturally, figurines made of coal. And there are items for every budget, including handmade soap, pottery, books and wooden cooking utensils.

The art gallery Hellems visited included creations by Robert S. Moore III, who has combined latex paint with mailing labels, photos and other random household objects to create two-dimensional paintings.

Named for a type of tree, Tamarack is the only retail center in the nation for handmade arts and crafts that are juried and not on consignment, Whitlock said. Most artists are paid upfront, at wholesale prices, and their works are sold at retail prices.

The jury process is more about nurturing than judging. Veteran artists offer tips to make pieces more marketable, sometimes recommending mentoring or apprenticeships.

Tamarack was the vision of former Gov. Gaston Caperton, who wanted to keep traditional Appalachian arts and crafts alive and showcase them.

'We had such great artisans across the state, and most of them were so busy selling their goods at state fairs and county fairs they didn't have a chance to practice their art to the degree they could,' said Caperton, now president of the College Board in New York. 'We felt if we could make a tourist attraction, we would be able to, one, help those artisans, and two, create a great tourist attraction. And it really worked.'

Tamarack's original 59,000-square-foot structure cost $18 million to build and includes a performing arts theater, restaurant space and five demonstration studios. In 2003, another 22,000 square feet were added, featuring a conference and entertainment center.

'Over the years, it's developed from something new and different that is kind of 'Is it going to work?' to a solid attraction in West Virginia,' Whitlock said.

Only about 15 percent of the merchandise is considered consignment, typically big-ticket items, such as a $17,000 Burl Jones coffee table (with a bronze sculpture of a fisherman protruding through its glass top). Initially, people were skeptical that a table that expensive would sell. So far, though, six have.

More than 2,800 artists have joined Tamarack, but it usually buys from 800 to 1,100 works a year, depending on what's selling well, deputy general manager Dwight Trent said.

'I didn't know we had this kind of talent in the state,' he said. 'If nothing else, we have changed the image of West Virginia or enhanced it to a much larger degree to the outside world through our people and their products.'

Sales have generated more than $78 million in revenue since Tamarack's inception and more than $4 million in state sales tax. The busiest months are June, July, August and October, peak seasons for whitewater rafting, hiking, trail riding and leaf-peeping.

For every 10 visitors, Trent said, there are 12 purchases. Nearly half occur in A Taste of West Virginia, a food court managed by The Greenbrier, West Virginia's famous resort in White Sulphur Springs.

At Tamarack, chefs dish up Appalachian specialties such as grilled trout and fried green tomato sandwiches at affordable prices.

'It gives a really good impression of the state in general,' said John Grimes, a first-time visitor who dined at Tamarack on a trip from Cleveland to his home in Raleigh, N.C.

'I usually think of coal miners when I think of West Virginia. This shows what else the state has to offer.'

Whitlock is happy to hear that, but she said what people don't see means even more.

'People who have overcome great odds. People who delivered newspapers then, and now they don't have to work at other jobs because they can make a living off of art and craft. It is the story behind the piece that you're looking at.'

TAMARACK

GETTING THERE: Take Interstate 77 or 64 to Exit 45 in Beckley, W.Va.

HOURS: Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 2 to Dec. 31 and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. January through April. Closes at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Dec. 24 and Jan. 1. Closed Dec. 25.

INFORMATION: www.tamarackwv.com, 1-888-262-7225.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS:

New River Gorge National River and National Park: www.nps.gov/neri. The scenic gorge is home to what was once the longest steel-arch bridge in the world. Canyon Rim Visitor Center is on U.S. 19, 24 miles north of Beckley.

Whitewater rafting: www.fayettecounty.com/rafting.html, (304) 465-5617. On the Gauley or New rivers.

Pinnacle Creek ATV Trail System: www.trailsheaven.com. Part of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, this route offers scenic views and about 105 miles of trail.

Winterplace Ski Resort: www.winterplace.com, 1-800-607-7669. Open early December through late March, the resort in Ghent, W. Va., has nine ski lifts, 28 trails and night skiing.

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