Become a Member
Join the Mountain Arts District community to support local arts and gain access to exclusive resources.
Why join the Mountain Arts District?
MAD is a directory and news hub for artists, venues, shops, and events in the West Virginia Highlands. Membership connects creators and supporters so regional art, music, and culture stay visible and easy to find.
For artists & makers
Directory listings place your work alongside other Highlands makers in categories such as basketry, glass, jewelry, pottery, printmaking, woodworking, and mixed media art.
For venues & galleries
Shows and galleries are surfaced as part of the same regional calendar, helping visitors find performances, exhibitions, and cultural celebrations.
For supporters
Membership and sponsorship help keep the directory, event calendar, and news features free for the public across the West Virginia Highlands.
How to join the network
Joining MAD begins with a conversation. Reach out with your details, and we will walk you through the options that fit your work and your goals.
- Send a note through the Contact Us page describing who you are and the kind of art you make, curate, or host.
- Review the categories in the Artists & Venues Directory to see where your listing fits best.
- Confirm membership details and, if you represent an organization or business, discuss sponsorship options.
- Get listed so visitors and members can find you through the directory, event calendar, and news features.
Membership benefits
Every membership supports the same goal: to highlight arts-related organizations and individual creators across the Highlands and connect them with the community.
| Benefit | Who it is for | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Directory listing | Artists, galleries, stores, venues | Be found in the searchable directory by category and by location. |
| Event coverage | Venues, festival organizers, performers | Have concerts, workshops, festivals, and cultural celebrations placed on the regional event calendar. |
| News & features | Members | Be featured in artist spotlights, contest announcements, and heritage stories. |
| Community network | All members | Connect with other arts organizations and individual creators in the region. |
| Visibility partnership | Businesses and organizations | Partner with MAD for visibility through the directory and sponsors page. |
Ready to get involved?
Use the contact page for membership inquiries, partnership questions, or feedback. You can also sign up for MAD News there and support the district's work directly.
Go to Contact Us or review About MAD for background on the mission.
Joining the Mountain Arts District means becoming part of a shared effort to keep the arts of the West Virginia Highlands visible, active, and easy to find. The district serves as a directory and news hub for artists, venues, shops, and events, gathering the scattered pieces of a regional creative community into one place. By participating, artists and makers gain a presence that reaches beyond individual studios and galleries, while supporters find a clearer path to the people and places producing regional art, music, and craft.
Membership is especially useful for artists and makers whose work spans traditional and contemporary practice. Listings place handmade work alongside other Highlands creators in categories such as basketry, glass, jewelry, pottery, printmaking, woodworking, painting, ceramics, illustration, photography, and mixed media art. Functional pieces, fine craft, decorative gourds, fretted instruments, and stoneware or porcelain work all have room in the directory, giving each maker a context that helps distinguish the character of their practice from the broader regional scene.
Venues and shops benefit equally from being part of the district. Performances, exhibits, workshops, and retail spaces that host or showcase local work gain a channel for sharing news and events with visitors and residents already interested in the cultural life of the Highlands. Musicians, performing artists, storytellers, writers, and poets can be connected to spaces that welcome them, creating relationships between creators and the halls, galleries, and storefronts where their work reaches the public.
Beyond listings and visibility, membership supports the idea that regional culture deserves sustained attention rather than occasional mention. The district highlights seasonal gatherings, featured artists, contest entries, school and student work, gallery exhibitions, and community events, building an ongoing record of what is happening across the mountains. For visitors planning a trip through the Highlands, and for residents curious about what is close to home, that record turns scattered knowledge into something navigable and shared.
Joining also invites you to help shape how the district grows. New artists, venues, and shops are always welcome, and existing members often encourage others to submit their work and their stories so the directory reflects the full range of talent in the region. Sponsors and friends of the arts contribute in their own way, reinforcing the practical reality that keeping the arts visible takes collective effort. In short, membership offers both a platform and a community for the craftspeople and cultural workers of the West Virginia Highlands.
Keep in touch
Mountain Arts District shares artist spotlights, event listings, and regional arts news on its social channels.