The Bice-Ferguson Memorial Museum in Shinnston has experienced a very eventful summer season and it is continuing into the early fall months as well! According to Museum Director Debra Herndon, it has been extremely worthwhile. She commented, “For those who aren’t particularly drawn to historical items and artifacts, these exhibits that our Museum has hosted during the past several months have brought many new faces in to pay us a visit because we have featured such a mix of visual arts. By stopping in, these folks have gotten a glimpse of the local heritage that is preserved and showcased here.”
The exhibits began in July when the Museum hosted its first photography show. Mrs. Herndon noted that 24 very nice pieces were brought in for that, and there might have been more except they had asked for pieces with a historic theme related to north central West Virginia. “We learned from this,” she said, “and next year when we host this again, it will not have a restricting theme.”
During the month of August, an Art Show was held that included nearly 60 paintings and drawings – in oil, acrylics, watercolor, and pencil illustrations. This exhibit drew even larger attendance than previous art shows.
In September, a variety of nearly 30 quilts were on display – some sewn by machine and others completely by hand, a few dating back as far as the early 1900s! This exhibit too drew a lot of attention.
Now, throughout the month of October, the museum will again be featuring something new – ‘fiber arts’ that will include skills such as knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, handwoven baskets, clothing items, embroidered items, shawls, doilies, afgans, pillows, table runners, and a Swedish woven blanket! There is a lot to see, and Mrs. Herndon is hopeful that it too will draw enough interest that it will warrant hosting it again next year. Fiber arts will be on display until the 31st of October, which will be the museum’s final day of the season.
The museum will remain closed from November until Spring, and will reopen on the first Thursday in May of 2027 when another new show will be introduced, exclusively featuring both beautiful paintings and baskets, all made by the late Beverly Paushel who passed away in 2019. A 1953 graduate of Shinnston High School, Beverly was a self-taught artist who specialized in oil and watercolor, painting nature and landscapes. The museum will be filled with her talented work during 2027’s opening month, giving visitors something to look forward to!
