Nursery and Landscape Association Hosting Winter Symposium Feb. 22 At Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston

The West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Affiliation is keeping its Wintertime Symposium, “Growing A Good Landscape,” from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Embassy Suites Lodge in downtown Charleston. Two tracks of programming showcasing nationwide and regional pro speakers will allow for attendees to target on both of those landscape style and business enhancement very best techniques.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Where: Embassy Suites Resort, 300 Court Street, Charleston, W.Va.

Plan: The Landscape Structure and Small business Growth speakers run concurrently

Landscape Layout Sessions – Salon A Organization Advancement Periods – Salon B

9:30 a.m. Peggy Cornett, “Preserving Plants from the Previous – Monticello’s Historic Landscape” – Salon A

9:30 a.m. Dan Loch, “Moving Ahead: Fuel or Battery Driven Equipment?” – Salon B

10:30 a.m. Crack

10:45 a.m. Larry Weaner, “Breaking the Rules: Ecological Landscape Layout and Conventional Landscape Methodology” – Salon A

10:45 a.m. Renic Perry, West Virginia Little Business Progress Center, “Small Enterprise Financials” – Salon B

Noon  Lunch and Seller Displays in Salon C

1:15 p.m. Lisa Roper “The Evolution of Chanticleer’s Gravel Garden” – Salon A

1:15 p.m. Bret Chandler and Doug Harper, West Virginia Small Company Development Center, “Marketing Your Company / Operational Management” – Salon B

2:15 p.m. Crack

2:30 p.m. Paul Westervelt, “Are These Vegetation Superior, or Just New” – Salon A

2:30 p.m. Panel Discussion of Inexperienced Sector Workforce Improvement in West Virginia – Salon B

  • Michael Biafore, WVNLA – Biafore’s Landscape Enhancement in Morgantown
  • Nancy Ligus, Pierpont Local community and Technical Faculty
  • Cindy Bailey, WV Countrywide Guard
  • Scott Byars, WV National Guard
  • Lisa McDavid, WVNLA – Lisa’s Gardenscapes in Charleston

3:30 p.m. Networking Reception 

Landscape Layout Speakers:

Peggy Cornett, curator of vegetation at Monticello, will present “Preserving Crops from the Past—Monticello’s Historic Landscape.”

Larry Weaner, principal and founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Associates, will examine “Breaking the Policies: Ecological Landscape Design and style and Classic Landscape Methodology.”

Lisa Roper, horticulturist at Chanticleer Gardens, will share “The Evolution of Chanticleer’s Gravel Back garden.”

Paul Westervelt, yearly and perennial creation supervisor and head grower at Saunders Brothers, Inc., will go over “Are These Crops Better, or Just New?”

Business Advancement Speakers:

Business Coaching: Speakers from the West Virginia Small Business enterprise Progress Centre specialize in small business coaching to encourage the results of little companies in West Virginia. They give expert advice on promoting, enterprise administration and preparing, human methods, succession organizing, cyber stability, money examination, federal government contracting, and technological innovation commercialization.

Electric powered vs Gas Products: As some directors and policymakers advocate for electric-driven products utilization, some cities and municipalities are mandating electric powered-run landscape gear. A agent of Stihl will update attendees on the gains of both and where the industry is headed with its devices.

Workforce Development: WVNLA has been doing the job on many ranges to appeal to and build inexperienced industry staff:

  • crafting a “Landscape Technician Boot Camp,” a 40-hour program to be offered at the state’s 9 community and technical colleges.
  • producing a lawn and landscape teaching class through the Nationwide Guard to existing to Work opportunities & Hope participants and to WVNLA member organizations as a coaching source,
  • earning displays to large college agriculture and vocation and tech college students, and
  • producing films and presentation resources.

A panel of individuals included in workforce improvement initiatives will include things like Michael Biafore, chairman of WVNLA’s Workforce Progress Committee and president of Biafore’s Landscape Advancement Cindy Bailey, director of financial development for the West Virginia Nationwide Guard (WVNG) Scott Byars, WVNG coach, previous WVU Extension agent, and landscape organization owner Nancy Ligus, director of workforce, continuing education and financial progress at Pierpont Community & Technological College or university and Lisa McDavid of Lisa’s Gardenscapes.

“We’re privileged to bring these kinds of gifted speakers with extraordinary experienced qualifications to Charleston for our Wintertime Symposium,” said Julie Robinson, WVNLA’s government director. “Our mission at WVNLA is to provide our associates and the general public they provide via education and outreach. The symposium is a fantastic opportunity for both landscape industry experts and any individual with a eager interest in design or managing a landscape organization to be impressed and educated.”

Sellers: Eight suppliers will be exhibiting at the conference. We welcome Acorn Farms (Galena, OH), Cole Nurseries (Pipestem, WV), Finn All Seasons (Streetsboro, OH ), G & G Nursery (Lesage, WV), Klyn Nursery (Perry, OH), Labor Consultants International (Coeur d Alene, ID ), Michael Gwinn Insurance policies Company (Lookout, WV ) and SiteOne Landscape Provide (Columbus, OH).

# # #

West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Affiliation, Inc., recognized in 1939, is a expert trade association dedicated to supporting nursery and landscape corporations and distributors all over the Mountain Point out.

WVNLA customers help West Virginia university students finding out horticulture and landscape architecture with scholarship prospects. They also share knowledge and support in their  communities meet up with for volunteer jobs and support deserving, field-similar endeavors by means of Affiliation donations. Regionally, WVNLA co-owns the once-a-year Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Present together with the Maryland and Virginia associations.

For membership, gatherings or mission priorities be sure to check out https://wvnla.org/

Gibbes to launch new Art Charleston annual event | Charleston Scene

The clue is in the name. Gibbes Museum of Art has announced a new annual festival devoted to visual art, which wrangles some of their tried-and-true signature events into a weeklong art celebration. 

The concept, which was formed during the pandemic pause, has long been percolating at the Gibbes.

Review: 2 Charleston exhibitions celebrate the strong and make them visible

“We have always been thinking about creating a week in Charleston that’s devoted to the visual arts, something that really encompasses the community,” said Angela Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Dubbed Art Charleston, the festival this year celebrates creative freedom and takes place May 9-13.

Among the host of happenings are four of the museum’s signature events that previously happened throughout the year and are now collapsed into one week to anchor the festival.

Those are the Amy P. Coy Forum, Art of Design, Soirée and Gibbes on the Street.

During Art Charleston, participants can also engage in artist lectures, gallery walks, professional workshops, exhibition tours with experts and an art auction.

The 2022 theme of creative freedom is inspired by the museum’s major spring exhibition “Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice,” which is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and premiering at the Gibbes before its national tour. The exhibition will be on display at the museum through Aug. 7.

Amy P. Coy Forum, May 9

Stephanie J. Woods, 2021 winner of the museum’s 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art, will be recognized at the Amy P. Coy Forum. An avant-garde of contemporary Southern art, Woods’ body of work examines performative behavior and the cognitive effects of forced cultural assimilation through the exploration and utilization of textiles, photography, video, sculpture, community-engaged projects and material language.


Gibbes Museum of Art launches rare look at Romare Bearden

Museum visitors can view Woods’ multimedia work, Lavender Notes, in the Mary Jackson Modern and Contemporary Gallery for the duration of 2022. The forum will feature a presentation from Woods followed by a Q&A with audience members and a cocktail reception to kick off Society 1858’s annual Art Auction. Tickets for this event are $40 for members or $50 for non-members.

Art of Design, May 10

Lewis Miller, a New York floral designer known for his pop-up urban flower installations, will be the featured speaker of the 12th annual Art of Design. This daytime lunch and lecture will take place in the museum’s Lenhardt Garden. Miller, referred to as “the Banksy of floral design,” is also the author of “Flower Flash” and “Styling Nature: A Masterful Approach to Floral Arrangements.” Tickets go on sale for this event on Feb. 23 for $150 each.







Gibbes Soiree

Among the events that are part of the Gibbes Museum of Art’s inaugural Art Charleston is its annual Soiree event. Gibbes Museum of Art/Provided 


Soirée, May 11

A group of Charleston’s leading chefs will take inspiration from the creative freedom expressed in the design and aesthetic of this formal, intimate, fine dining experience. The evening will begin with special behind-the-scenes tours and cocktails in the Campbell Rotunda, followed by a four-course dinner. Following dinner, guests will also enjoy dancing in the museum’s Lenhardt Garden. Tickets for this event are $1,000.

Gibbes on the Street, May 12

The museum will again celebrate the city’s culinary scene at the annual Gibbes on the Street, a lively, food-focused street fair. Stretching across one block of Meeting Street in front of the museum, the event will feature more than 15 of Charleston’s leading chefs serving up sweet and savory dishes, an open bar and live music. 

Tickets for this event are $175 for members or $200 for non-members.

According to Mack, the goal is to add more programming and more opportunities for people to engage with the visual arts, including happenings at other institutions or other neighborhoods that coincide with the week at the Gibbes.


Charleston Gibbes Museum's first-ever hip-hop show inspired by art of Romare Bearden

Perhaps from there, Mack added, the weeklong focus on visual arts could become its own destination.

“It is going to be about promoting visual arts in Charleston through the Gibbes and we’re excited,” said Mack. “There’s Art Basel … and now there’s Art Charleston.”

For more information and to purchase tickets for Art Charleston events, go to gibbesmuseum.org/art-charleston.

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Follow Maura Hogan on Twitter at @msmaurahogan.