West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History

This document outlines the annual work program for the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, detailing activities for Fiscal Year 2026. Its mission is to encourage, inform, support, and participate in efforts to identify, recognize, preserve, and protect West Virginia's prehistoric and historic structures, objects, sites, and landscapes. The plan addresses goals of education and outreach, identification, community and economic development, and stewardship. Key focus areas include supporting Certified Local Governments, administering development grants and covenants, facilitating National Register nominations, providing planning assistance, ensuring review and compliance, managing subgrants, conducting surveys, promoting tax credits, and offering various educational programs and technical assistance.

This strategic plan for the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History outlines a vision for a thriving, accessible, and recognized arts landscape across the state. Its mission is to support the creative economy, foster future audiences through arts education, and guarantee access to quality arts experiences for all West Virginians. The plan is structured around five key goals: supporting the creative economy, promoting arts education, ensuring universal arts access, maintaining high-quality artistic works and experiences, and advocating for the arts.

The Mountain State Legacy 2020-2024 Goals and Objectives plan focuses on historic preservation in West Virginia. The plan aims to educate West Virginians on historic preservation, increase awareness of the value of historic resources, identify and designate historic resources, incorporate historic preservation into community and economic development, and safeguard historic resources throughout the state.

The meeting included updates on the 2022 Hampshire County Cemetery Survey Grant, specifically the selection of Aurora Research Associates (ARA) as the consultant. There was also discussion regarding the Independent Commission status, including revisions to the By-Laws. New officers were elected for the 2023-2024 year. The commission chose a date for a Public Meeting regarding the Cemetery Survey and discussed advertising strategies.

The strategic plan for the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History focuses on fostering artistic, cultural, educational, and economic development in the state. It aims to promote arts in education, nurture the creative economy, ensure access, inclusion, diversity, and equity in the arts, and encourage arts advocacy. The plan includes objectives such as expanding partnerships, providing opportunities for artists, engaging underserved populations, and informing decision-makers about the impact of the arts.