BRIDGEPORT, W.VA. — The West Virginia Humanities Council traveling exhibit, "The Hatfields & McCoys: American Blood Feud," spent much of 2015 touring southern West Virginia. Now people in the North Central West Virginia region will have an opportunity to see the exhibit May 13 through June 24 during its display on the first floor of United Hospital Center.
Using text, photographs, maps, illustrations, and quotes, the exhibit of four free-standing, three-sided kiosks examines the history of the Tug Valley region, origins and events of the feud, as well as its historical and cultural significance, including related scholarly books, plays, television shows, and products.
The exhibit previewed in January 2015 at the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center.
“The Humanities Council has created our traveling exhibits in collaboration with graphic arts students at West Virginia University, so they get first crack at showing them off,” Mark Payne, Humanities Council program officer, said.
Since previewing in Morgantown, the exhibit has traveled to Williamson, Bramwell, Athens, Matewan, Logan, and two sites in Huntington, as well as Pikeville and Ashland, Kentucky.
“Considering the special nature of the story, we had interest from venues in Kentucky and decided to share this one across the state line, which is not something we typically do,” Payne said.
In 2016, the exhibit is moving onto other parts of the state. It has already shown in New Martinsville, Ripley, and Parkersburg, and after Bridgeport, it travels to Morgantown, Petersburg, and Ravenswood. Previous traveling exhibits developed by the Humanities Council about West Virginia statehood and John Henry displayed at 65 different locations in the Mountain State.
The West Virginia Humanities Council’s Hatfields & McCoys traveling exhibit is funded in part by ZMM Architects & Engineers of Charleston. For information about the exhibit while it is in Bridgeport, call Denise Steffich, volunteer coordinator with the Auxiliary to United Hospital Center, at 681-342-1640.
Groups interested in bringing the exhibit to their communities should contact Humanities Council program officer Mark Payne at 304-346-8500 or payne@wvhumanities.org