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LIFE
Local artists' work featured in Central City community beautification project
Bob Long, Joseph Stepp, and David Stepp of Absolute Inc. work Wednesday to piece together one of several acrylic paintings of quilts that will be placed on display in the old Central City section of Huntington at West 14th Street.
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HUNTINGTON -- Kathy Ferrell has done magazine illustrations and children's books, but her work really hasn't been seen in her hometown of Huntington -- until now.
Ferrell was among several artists who have painted 8-foot-by-8-foot acrylic paintings of quilts that are on display in the Central City section of Huntington at West 14th Street. Some of the paintings were put up on buildings in the area starting Wednesday.
"I've had work in more than 50 publications," Ferrell said. "It's a way to give back to the community."
Joanna Sexton Figlia, project manager for Old Central City Association, said the group received a $10,000 community development block grant for a beautification project. "We've put together a quilt trail," she said. "We've commissioned local artists to do paintings of quilts. They'll be on display on buildings in Central City."
"We'll have 10 paintings going up in the next week or two," she said. "We tried to pick quilts that tell stories about West Virginia. It's about heritage."
Most of the paintings will be up by the weekend and the rest will be put up next week, she said.
Ferrell did four of the paintings that will be put on buildings in the antique district.
"I was tickled to death to be involved in the project," Ferrell said. "This is the first art I've done in my home state."
The paintings are reproduced from photographs of quilts, she said.
The project started in April, Ferrell said
George McManus, Charles Robertson and Mariah Dolen also did some of the paintings, and Ferrell oversaw the work.
"I think they've all done a wonderful job, and I really think that this whole project can be the beginning of a cultural renaissance for Huntington," she said. "I really enjoyed taking part in this."
"I hope this is the beginning of a citywide effort to show pride in the skills of our many talented artists and craftspeople," she said.
The artists used acrylic paint and then acrylic varnish she said. Even though the paintings will be exposed to the weather, Ferrell said, "they should last for a good long time."
"This is only the first stage of the project," Figlia said. "We'd like to invite the community to participate, to help make it personal. We are looking for quilts in Cabell County for our artists to re-create in paint. If you have a quilt that you know was made in Cabell County, we'd like to see a photo or two. We would like to see all kinds, especially those with patterns traditional to this area. Perhaps you have a story that goes with the quilt. We'd love to hear about that."
Pictures and contact information can be sent to Old Central City Association, P.O. Box 9271, Huntington, WV 25773. Other artists can participate in the project too. The deadline for entries is Aug. 3.
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