This January our small mountain town is launching Fayetteville Creates, a community-wide artist residency that leverages our tourism assets to benefit both visiting creatives and local residents. Here’s how it works:

• Seven visiting creatives of different artistic disciplines will each stay in a private, donated vacation rental as they create, explore, and engage with our town.
• Each creative resident will conduct one free class, workshop or demonstration for the community.
• A local guide will be assigned to each visiting creative to help orient them to the area.
• The focus is on community with public meetups and free workshops and classes to bring art into our streets, shops, and gathering spaces.

This program is made possible by the West Virginia Creative Network, Fayette County Community Foundation, Visit Fayetteville WV, a passionate team of community volunteers, and generous vacation rental owners.

We are thrilled to be part of this visionary project, and we will be folding our annual New River Gorge Creative Residency into Fayetteville Creates.

What we love most about Fayetteville Creates is how it truly embodies community-driven creativity. While the WV Creative Network provided the seed money, they made sure local voices chose and shaped the project by recruiting Fayetteville artists and residents to open calls and meetings.

We also appreciate that every dollar stays rooted in the community. Those who participated in the initial planning session were compensated, Fayette County Community Foundation serves as the fiscal agent, local guides receive stipends, and local businesses are paid for goods and services.

Here’s the best part: thanks to seed funding from the West Virginia Creative Network, all supplies for the community engagement classes and workshops are fully covered, making them free for community members.

The Generous Vacation Rental Owners

These generous partners removed their rentals from the market for an entire month to provide housing for visiting creative residents within our community, contributing in-kind donations valued at up to $2,000 each. While all local vacation rental owners were invited to participate, these are the owners who were able and willing to step forward in support of the residency.

Chris and Stacey Tope – The Chestnut

Good things started happening as soon as Chris and Stacey Tope rolled into town. Texans who spent years traveling the country, they chose to put down roots in Fayetteville and raise their twin boys. Chris, a biologist and gifted craftsman, builds custom motorcycles and has an eye for photography. Stacey, former executive director of Love Hope Center for the Arts, helped expand the nonprofit’s reach. Together, they’ve become part of the town’s fabric.

Us! Amy McLaughlin and Shawn Means – Eddy at Lafayette Flats

Since launching the New River Gorge Creative Residency in 2015, we have welcomed 18 artists to Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals, a thoughtfully restored historic building that blends modern comforts with contemporary West Virginia art. We reinvest a portion of their vacation rental earnings each year to purchase new works from local artists. As naturalists, we also share their deep love of the New River Gorge, creating experiences that connect art, place, and community in meaningful ways.

Holly Clark and Tom Dragan – The Walk-up

Holly has been a familiar face in Fayetteville since 2009, active in community organizations such as Love Hope Center for the Arts, where she regularly volunteers. A long-time Airbnb host at The Barn Loft, she now manages several local vacation rentals through her company, HERE LLC. Tom Dragan, part of the family that pioneered rafting in the New River Gorge, remains active in river advocacy and provides rescue support for Bridge Day BASE jumpers.

Jamie Lester and Nadia Caterina – artHaus

Jamie and Nadia are artists who share a deep commitment to nurturing Fayetteville’s creative community. Jamie, a Southern West Virginia native, is the son of a coal miner and watercolor painter. He’s a bronze monument sculptor and fine artist who co-founded Fayetteville’s beloved Love Hope Center for the Arts in 2021. Nadia, whose work spans a wide range of media, draws from nature and meditation. She also operates Nampara Farm-op outside Morgantown.

Teddy and Lisa Queen – Swiftwater Loft

Lisa and Teddy’s story is deeply rooted in West Virginia and shaped by adventure. They met at Marshall University, fell in love on the New River while guiding rafting trips, and built a life centered on community, family, and entrepreneurship. From launching Swiftwater Café in Charleston in 2003 to expanding Swiftwater Catering and the Swiftwater General Stores in Charleston and Lansing, they’ve created welcoming spaces filled with good food and Appalachian spirit.

Colleen Laffey – Zen Box

Colleen is a Fayetteville local, freelance camera operator, and lifelong adventurer whose path has taken her from guiding rivers and video kayaking to filming reality shows for major networks. When she bought her property, it held a run-down trailer that soon became a gathering spot for paddlers and climbers. One climber dubbed it the “Zen Can.” Years later, after Colleen reimagined it with wood siding and thoughtful details, it became the Zen Box.

Geoff and Kyle Heeter – The Ayres House

Geoff and Kyle Heeter have spent their lives strengthening Fayette County through service, wellness, and community leadership. Kyle worked 26 years as a registered nurse before expanding her passion for healing through the Healing Touch Program at Shift Energy Work. Geoff blends entrepreneurship and advocacy as managing partner of Opossum Creek Retreat, a founding member of the New River Birding & Nature Festival, and a leader with Leadership Fayette County.

The Fayetteville Creates Creative Residents

The creative residents were chosen not just for their artistic talents, but for their genuine desire to connect with the community and the thoughtful workshops, classes, and events they designed to share with the people of Fayetteville.

Emma Roberts, Illustrator and Painter

Emma is a multidisciplinary artist from Buffalo, NY. She has a background in graphic design and illustration, focusing primarily on children’s book illustrations. She is also the owner of a small business, Kind Life Studio, where she sells handmade jewelry, ceramics, and paintings. She’s happiest creating whimsical pieces that bring joy to both herself and the viewer.

Blue Miskelley, Mixed Media Artist

Blue is a cut paper artist currently living in Chicago,  Illinois. He’s a real renaissance man who is also a licensed boat captain, a pirate entertainer, wood worker, art figure model and interior designer. Blue creates silhouette styled airships, landscapes and folkloric imagery all in paper. Currently he is writing and illustrating his own children’s book.

Kat von Hacke, Illustrator and Children’s Author

Kat von Hacke is an Appalachian artist, author, and illustrator whose work bridges folklore, ecology, and imagination. She is the creator of The Lost Fables of Appalachia—a series of illustrated tales that celebrate the hidden magic of the mountains. Kat’s work invites viewers to reconnect with the natural world through story, texture, and wonder. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two dogs. Her father, who recently passed, was born and raised here in the New River Gorge in Thurmond, WV.

Sam Kimball, Writer and Podcaster

Sam Kimball of Milford, NY is an independent journalist, media experimenter, and communications specialist with immersive, on-the-ground reporting across ten countries—seven of which he lived in—throughout Southwest Asia, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the USA. He leads a podcast project with a team of young journalists in Iraq, telling the stories of ordinary Iraqis. During this residency, he will develop a book proposal exploring the Arab Spring revolutions’ sweeping legacy.

Melia Beckford, Painter

Melia Beckford is a Jamaican American artist born and raised in Hurricane, WV. Primarily a painter, Melia works with oils and watercolors to capture an ever-expanding variety of subject matter. In ways both expected and surprising, the cultural medley of her upbringing influences and inspires much of what she creates. As of December, Melia will be a Marshall University graduate, with a BFA in Studio Art and minors in both Creative Writing and Psychology.

Becks Lipshultz, Musician

Becks is a queer singer-songwriter whose Appalachian roots ground their music to place, while pushing the envelope of what it means to “belong” in the folk and old time scenes. Their family history of union organizing and three generations of “card carrying communists” bring an edge to their live performances that ties in some of their more commercial catalogue with the history of the Appalachian region and their family’s own resistances in the Ohio River Valley. Becks has a master’s degree in Appalachian music and Appalachian studies and is currently working to create an album.

Amy Pabst, Fiber Artist

Amy Pabst creates quilts with emphasis on form rather than function. She has exhibited her work internationally, most recently in Birmingham, England. Her first book, The 100,000 Pieces Project, was published in 2020. Her work explores feminist themes, with a focus on women’s work in the context of fiber arts and textiles. She grew up in rural WV, where the strong regional heritage of quilt making continues to inform her processes. Amy is studying at Marshall University toward a BFA in visual art.

Local Volunteers

The working committee behind Fayetteville Creates is made up of dedicated local volunteers who care deeply about nurturing creativity and community in Fayetteville. These volunteers continued to give their time, energy, and expertise long after the initial selection meeting. These are the folks that have shaped this program into a residency that reflects Fayetteville’s welcoming spirit of collaboration.

• Kate Kistler
• Kristin Carroll
• Nicholas Tankersly
• Cydney Smith
• Amy McLaughlin
• Shawn Means

In a town where many residents already serve as whitewater and climbing guides, having an “art guide” felt like a natural fit. Each visiting creative will be paired with a local guide who will help them get oriented and feel welcomed. These guides act as an accessible point of contact, offer support with the logistics of community events, and share local knowledge of the people and places that make Fayetteville unique.

• Mary Ann Roberts
• Sarah Edwards
• Braiden Maddox
• Andrea St. Amand
• Joanna Chierici
• Katey Lauer

Community Engagement Events

Emma Roberts – Zine Making Workshop

In this workshop, participants will create their own mini-zines using simple illustration and mixed-media techniques to tell stories that matter to them. During the workshop, Emma will introduces basic zine folding, drawing, collage, stamp-making, and the use of found materials, with an emphasis on imagination and personal expression rather than prior art experience. Everyone will leave with a completed mini-zine, and all zines produced during the workshops will hopefully be photocopied and gathered into a community anthology, preserving participants’ voices and ideas as a lasting record of shared creativity.

Kat von Hacke – Where Art Meets Story: Listening to the Mountains

During this interactive storytelling experience, Kat will share tales and artwork from the Lost Fables of Appalachia series, beginning with The Tale of Jeter Gray Fox and continuing with The Legend of the Wampus Cat. She will explore the connections between Appalachian folklore and ecology, where art meets story and story meets the mountains. The event also features a small pop-up display of illustrations and a hands-on activity inviting children and families to color pages Kat’s work or create their own woodland characters. Together, the community is invited to listen to the voice of the mountains and rediscover the wonder woven into nature.

Amy Pabst – Quilt Trunk Show

This engaging quilt trunk show blends storytelling, education, and inspiration. During this event, Amy will present 20–25 of her quilts, sharing the creative journey behind each piece, from initial inspiration and design choices to techniques and processes used along the way. Designed to inspire quilters of all levels, this trunk show explore recurring themes, and gain insight into the evolution of quilting.

Melia Beckford – Watercolor Paint Party

This watercolor paint party will begin with a brief demonstration about watercolor technique and Melia’s approach to specific subjects. The demo will be followed by an open painting period with instruction from Melia. The goal is to give community members a chance to mingle, get creative, and leave with a finished piece of watercolor art to take home. For people ages 16+

Becks Lipshultz – Storytelling Through Song

During this hands-on workshop, community members are invited to transform personal stories into original music, inspired by the way Becks is currently turning the stories her nana shared about her homeplace into song. Participants will explore how memory, place, and storytelling can shape melody and lyrics in an accessible, collaborative environment. No instrument-playing experience is required, though the workshop is especially well suited for musicians, songwriters, and poets interested in expanding their creative practice through this approach.

Blue Miskelley – Paper Cutting Workshop and Identifying the Dark Arts

In this hands-on paper cut arts workshop, Blue will exploring how to “draw with a knife,” guiding participants through the tools, techniques, and quiet magic of cut-paper art. Everything needed for this immersive session will be provided —knives, paper, glue, and a few secret plans—to help each participant create an original cut-paper piece. Presented during Fayetteville’s popular Wizarding Weekend, attendees are encouraged to bring their own wand and a sense of curiosity as they learn an ancient art form with a contemporary twist. For people ages 13+

Sam Kimball – On Writing From Far Away

This workshop inviting participants to explore writing across borders, cultures, and lived experiences. Drawing on fourteen years as an international journalist, the workshop will begin with a presentation on writing amid different languages, landscapes, and political systems, highlighting lessons in capturing unfamiliar worlds with accuracy, empathy, and ethical awareness. Participants will then pair up for a hands-on exercise, crafting short “creative journalism” pieces about places that once felt foreign or revealing, exchanging and critiquing their work to practice writing that is vivid, balanced, and responsible. The final hour will feature shared readings and an open discussion about translating distant experiences for local audiences while preserving authenticity. With brief breaks for reflection, the workshop offers a lively introduction to international storytelling and the power of writing as a bridge between worlds. For people ages 16+

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Stay at Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals during the festivities by booking a flat.