The Scenic Route Stops by Tamarack

Visitors come to Tamarack to explore West Virginia art, makers, and authors. It is another experience entirely to see a painting take shape right in front of them. When Katy Crim sets up with her Scenic Route series, a small studio appears right in the middle of the marketplace. 

People pause, lean in, and watch as a map line becomes a ridge line and a soft wash of color turns into a river. Questions come naturally. Conversations start. Prints and originals find new homes.

As a juried Tamarack artist, Katy is invited to set up several times each year, usually for a three day weekend. The location is a crossroads for travelers, which creates a lively mix of visitors. Holiday road trips, family visits, and scenic drives all pass through Beckley, and that flow of travelers brings new eyes to the work. Recent conversations included folks from Lewisburg and points farther south. One of Katy’s Mothman prints headed to North Carolina after catching the attention of a passerby. Another visitor was an artist driving through who stopped to watch the process and talk shop. Local shoppers stop in as well, but many purchases come from people on the road who want to carry a piece of West Virginia home with them.

A favorite story from the most recent weekend this past summer involved a young customer who studied Katy’s artwork for sale, counted his own money to ensure he had enough, and chose a print himself. The moment said a lot about how art connects! A determined young collector knew when a piece spoke to him.

Katy returns to Tamarack the first weekend of December in 2025. Expect on-site painting and the unveiling of a new coal mining print that ties into the four quadrants of her coal map, along with a Gas Railroads print. The timing falls just after Thanksgiving, when many travelers are headed home to see family. It is the perfect moment to stop at Tamarack, watch a painting come to life, and choose a print that tells a personal West Virginia story.