A ribbon cutting was held this afternoon to launch United Hospital Center’s display of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s Statehood Exhibit.

Located outside Artisans’ Crossing gift shop, the display will be available for viewing through June 18, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

“The Auxiliary to United Hospital Center is pleased to bring the ‘Born of Rebellion: West Virginia  Statehood’ exhibit to North Central West Virginia during such an important milestone in the state’s history as the Sesquicentennial,” said Auxilary Coordinator Denise Steffich. “We encourage citizens to view the traveling display for this limited engagement at UHC.”

The exhibit encompasses a timeline stretching from 1810, when western Virginia protested unequal representation in Virginia legislature through 1871, when the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed the inclusion of Jefferson and Berkeley counties, also implicitly accepting the legality of West Virginia.

It was June 20 of 1863 when West Virginia became the 35th state.

The exhibit is both informative and thought provoking.

“The question of whether Virginia had in fact consented to the creation of West Virginia, as required in Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution continues to provide fodder for debate. Was the Reorganized Government of Virginia, sitting at Wheeling, really empowered to speak for the state of Virginia? Should such a momentous question have been settled at a time of political unrest and civil war?”

What do you think?

Visit the exhibit to learn more and form your educated opinion.

To complement the exhibit, various artisans will be displaying their heritage art forms throughout the duration of the exhibit.

The schedule is:

June 7 – Millennium Quilters
June 8 – Barbara Jones, dolls
June 9 – Millennium Quilters
June 10 – Christine Keller, jewelry
June 11 – Millennium Quilters
June 12 – Georgette Griffith
June 13 – Debbie Sorensen, photography display
June 14 – Millennium Quilters, quilt making
June 15 – Barbara Jones, dolls
June 16 – Millennium Quilters
June 17 – Wendy Clark, weaving
June 18 – Elaine Sinclair and Donna McCollom, basket tatting

There will also be two presentations featuring historical characters Mark Twain at noon on Mon., June 17 and “Stonewall” Jackson at 5:30 p.m. Tues., June 18.

The Auxiliary has requested to keep the display up for an additional two days through West Virginia’s June 20 birthday, Steffich said. An announcement will be forthcoming.

The exhibit received a “Leadership in History Award” from the American Association for State and Local History. Using text, photographs, images and maps, it has been redone with a new lightweight panel system. Exhibit viewers are given opportunity to cast votes on the constitutionality of our state.

The West Virginia Humanities Council provides the exhibit at no cost to interested venues. It is currently booked through December of 2013. The exhibit was made possible with support from the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts.

For more information, call UHC at 681-342-1600. The “Born of Rebellion” display for 2013 is available at www.wvhumanities.org.

 

Pictures by Michelle Duez.