About MAD

How to Get Involved

Whether you create art, host it, fund it or simply want to see more of it, there is a place for you in the district.

1. Become a memberList yourself or your organization in the directory and reach visitors looking for what you make.
2. Partner with MADWork with the district to promote galleries, shops, venues and events across the West Virginia Highlands.
3. Support or sponsorOrganizations and businesses can back the district through sponsorship and support options.
4. Stay in touchSend an inquiry, share feedback, or sign up for MAD News through the contact page.

The Mountain Arts District is a directory and news hub for the artists, venues, shops, and events of the West Virginia Highlands. Rather than a single gallery or theater, it functions as a connecting layer between the region's creative people and the audiences who want to find them, spanning Elkins and the surrounding towns of the highlands. Listings are arranged by location and by craft category, so a visitor can look for a pottery studio, a basket maker, a luthier, or a performance space without needing to know the geography in advance.

The mission behind the district is straightforward: to highlight the arts-related organizations and individual creators who keep regional craft traditions alive. That includes basketry, jewelry, stained glass, printmaking, woodworking, decorative gourds, painting, illustration, photography, ceramics, and lutherie for hand-built and restored instruments such as banjos, mandolins, and violins. Galleries, stores, and performing venues are supported in turn, because the survival of a maker's craft often depends on whether there is somewhere nearby to show, sell, and perform the work.

Membership is offered to those who create, teach, exhibit, or host events within the district, and a directory of member businesses gives visitors a structured way to explore what is currently active. Beyond the listings, the site carries news, featured stories, contest entries, and event announcements such as Christmas markets, seasonal performances, and screening nights. Writers, poets, storytellers, and musicians are included alongside visual artists, which reflects how broadly the region defines the idea of a working artist community.

Browsing is meant to feel unhurried and exploratory, matching a district that rewards wandering rather than rushing. Search, filtered exploration, and sponsor support all point toward the same goal: connecting people with places and makers they might otherwise never encounter. For students, newcomers, and travelers, that orientation is valuable; for established artists, the district offers a shared platform for visibility, collaboration, and a stronger sense of cultural identity across the Mountain Arts District.

Notable Listings

See the full directory Contact Us