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H
i s t o r y
The
idea that culminated in formation
of the Clarksburg Harrison Cultural
foundation in 1972 came from the
late Clay Wymer, president and
managing director of the Central
West Virginia Automobile Club.
At that time Mr. Wymer was also
serving as chairman of the Clarksburg
Offstreet Parking Authority. In
a casual conversation with another
member of the Parking Authority,
John F. (Jack) Skinner, Mr. Wymer
lamented the fact that there was
no local organization that could
accept gifts and bequests of money
and property on behalf of the
public for the betterment of the
Clarksburg area. Mr. Skinner passed
the idea along to William A. (Bill)
Lear, then mayor of Clarksburg.
Under Bill Lear's leadership,
several informal meetings were
held to further discuss the proposal.
Then a number of community leaders
were invited to attend an organizational
meeting which was held on May
16, 1972, in the Consolidated
Natural Gas Company auditorium.
The meeting was called to order
by James M. (Jim) Campbell, chairman
of a special committee appointed
by Mayor Lear. Following an enthusiastic
general discussion, it was voted
unanimously to seek to incorporate
a countywide nonprofit organization
with broad legal power to enhance
the cultural life in this area.
Attorney H. Laban White was appointed
chairman of the legal committee.
Mr. White and his committee submitted
an Agreement of Incorporation,
applied for tax-exempt status,
and prepared a set of by-laws.
The Agreement of Incorporation
of the Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural
Foundation, Inc. was approved
by the West Virginia Secretary
of State on November 2, 1972,
and bore the signatures of the
following citizens: Oscar J. Andre;
W. Bernard Berry; James E. Boyce;
Ulysses P. Buffington; Lester
W. Burnside, Jr.; James M Campbell;
Mary H. Curtin; Madge S. Douds;
Edward J. Forinash; Roger J. Garrett;
John G. Hanner; Cecil B. Highland,
Jr.; Whalen L. King; William A.
Lear; Nelson E. Matthews; Frank
J. Maxwell, Jr.; A. Merle Moore;
Alfred R. Reppert; John F. Skinner;
Betty R. Smith; Jack A. Tillman;
Stuart R. Waters; and H. Laban
White.
After publicizing the formation
of this new organization, a public
meeting was held on December 6,
1972, at the Uptowner Inn in Clarksburg.
At that time the proposed by-laws
were officially adopted and an
11-member board of directors was
elected. Elected to the board
were the following: Ulysses P.
Buffington; Homer A. Carmichael;
David L. Corsini; H. Laban White;
Cecil B. Highland, Jr.; Mrs. Byron
B. Randolph; John F. Skinner;
Mrs. Thomas A. White; James M.
Campbell; William A. Lear; and
Frank J. Maxwell, Jr. The board
then elected Jim Campbell to serve
as president, Bill Lear as vice-president,
Dave Corsini as treasurer and
Jack Skinner as secretary.
Since that day in 1972, the Clarksburg-Harrison
Cultural Foundation has consistently
fulfilled its mission and continues
to do so by raising money and
funding various arts projects
in the community. The amount of
monies raised and passed on is
impressive and the accomplishments
of the Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural
Foundation deserve an historic
review.
At that first meeting in 1972,
the local librarian, Merle Moore,
reported on the status of a proposal
to build a new library. Little
did the members know that raising
funds for that project would become
the foundation's first major undertaking.
Only 6 weeks after the formation
of the foundation, it was approached
by the members of the Clarksburg
Library Board for assistance in
building the new library.
The library board had encountered
two problems, one legal and the
other financial. Purchasing the
Ritz Theater Building, proposed
site for the new library, required
entering into a loan agreement
with a local bank. However, it
was found that the library board
was not empowered to borrow money.
It was therefore proposed that
the fledgling Clarksburg-Harrison
Cultural Foundation borrow $200,000.00,
buy the Ritz Theater property,
raise the local funds to repay
the loan, and then give the property
to the library board as a site
for the new library.
Needless to say, the proposal
staggered this newly formed body
and its elected directors and
officers. However, they rose to
the occasion and accepted the
challenge. Thanks to the scope
of activities authorized for the
Cultural Foundation at the time
of its incorporation, they were
able to negotiate with tenants
of the Ritz Theater building in
regard to their leases. Bill Lear
and Ulysses Buffington agreed
to serve as co-chairmen of a capital
funds drive. The foundation not
only raised the $200,000 as committed,
but the final figures show that
they raised and contributed a
total of $323,125.00 toward the
new 1.6 million dollar Clarksburg
Public Library.
Encouraged and aided by the West
Virginia Arts and Humanities Council
and its director, James Andrews,
another important action was taken
by the foundation during that
first year. It agreed to form
a Clarksburg-Harrison Arts Council
as an "arm" of the foundation.
Its thrust would be to organize
those groups throughout the county
who were involved in arts programming
so that unified and cooperative
efforts could be made. E. W. James
and Ulysses Buffington were to
serve as co-chairmen. For the
next 4 years the Arts Council
was very active.
During those years, the Wheeling
Symphony was brought to Clarksburg
on two separate occasions and
the foundation began the Artist-in-Residence
program, continuing to be the
primary sponsor of that project
for 3 years. The foundation sponsored
and directed Arts '74, Arts '75,
Arts '76, Arts '77, Arts '78,
Arts '79, and Arts '80, weeks-long
arts festivals with art exhibits,
concerts, workshops, programs
of dance, and drama presentations
involving most of the arts groups
of the community. Former Clarksburgers,
Phyllis Curtin and Davyd Booth,
came back to their hometown to
give benefit concerts.
One of the cultural activities,
an exhibit from the National Endowment
for the Arts, required 12 8' x
8' display panels. These were
purchased by the Arts Council
of the parent group and subsequently
placed on loan to the local public
library. Records show that the
Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural Foundation
raised and channeled over $47,000
into the community for arts programming
during the first 3 1/2 years of
its existence.
During Arts '78, the West Virginia
University Percussion Ensemble
gave a performance whose profits
provided the bulk of a capital
funds drive. Funds from this drive,
together with funds from the Clarksburg
Community Concert Association,
purchased a Steinway concert grand
piano to be housed in Waldomore.
It had been discovered that without
a suitable piano, the Clarksburg
Community Concert Association
was faced with canceling concerts
requiring a piano. In cooperation
with the Clarksburg-Harrison Public
Library, the piano has since been
made available for community use.
Guidelines for community use of
the piano were adopted jointly
by the library board and the board
of directors of the Clarksburg-Harrison
Cultural Foundation in 1980 and
updated in 1985.
Several members of the foundation
had assumed leadership roles in
the renovation and restoration
of Waldomore, the historic mansion
which formerly housed the main
building of the library. As a
result of this involvement, toward
the end of 1976 the foundation
received a surprise dividend.
The board of directors of the
Clarksburg-Harrison Cultural Foundation
was approached by Mr. Carroll
Westfall, an art dealer with a
studio in Pittsburgh. Mr. Westfall
was a native of West Virginia
and a former resident of Clarksburg.
He had been commissioned by some
of his clients to seek a worthy,
charitable, non-profit group with
the proper tax-exemption credentials
to be the recipient of some oil
paintings as tax write-offs.
Mr. Westfall had been following
the activities of his hometown
and the work of the Clarksburg-Harrison
Cultural Foundation in particular.
He asked if the foundation would
be interested in being the beneficiaries
of such gifts. Of course, the
foundation accepted.
Thus began the foundation's extensive
art collection. Through the years
and through the generous assistance
of Mr. Westfall in guiding these
and other donors in the foundation's
direction, the collection grew
rapidly. In 1989, the collection
had a total of 50 oil paintings
and 3 sculptures. Appraised value
of the collection exceeded $660,000.
Portions of the collection have
been exhibited in Waldomore and
in the new library building. An
annual exhibit of student art
work uses paintings from the collection
in its program activity.
Another important phase of the
foundation's activities began
in 1976, when it established a
permanent endowment fund for the
arts. The fund is held in trust
by local banks and only the annual
interest is used for local arts
programming.
Income from the trust has been
used to support a variety of arts
programs, including programs of
the Clarksburg Art Center, as
well as several concert series
at Waldomore. A large oriental
rug was purchased and donated
to the library for use in Waldomore.
The foundation also purchased
special dehumidifying equipment
for the main room of Waldomore
which houses the Steinway concert
grand piano and a portion of the
foundation's art collection. The
foundation continues to pay for
maintenance and tuning of the
piano.
In 1979, the foundation provided
seed money, which along with a
grant from the West Virginia Arts
and Humanities Council initiated
the present program of string
instrument instruction in our
public schools. The foundation
has continued to lend financial
support to insure continuance
of this program.
Later in 1979, the foundation
endorsed the concept of a civic
and convention center in downtown
Clarksburg. It later supported
the cause in a local election
to build such a center. Unfortunately,
this proposal was defeated in
the election.
Throughout the 1980's, the foundation
continued its schedule of supporting
arts programs and giving encouragement
to other local groups through
small grants from the foundation's
endowment fund. The foundation
also continued to give assistance
in obtaining larger grants from
the West Virginia Arts and Humanities
Council.
In 1981, the Clarksburg-Harrison
Cultural Foundation hosted a state-wide
workshop in arts programming.
In 1982, Jim Campbell, as a member
of the foundation's board, appeared
before the United States Senate
Appropriations Committee. He testified
about the efficient use of small
state-approved grants from the
United States Endowment for the
Arts and how such grants were
being used as "seed money"
to provide arts programs.
During the summer of 1985, the
foundation took pride in being
one of the sponsors of the production
of an original musical, "Boardwalk
to the Moon," written by
local musician and playwright,
Barbara Haynes. In 1987, the foundation
presented the E. W. James Festival
Concert. This concert recognized
and honored another local composer,
who for many years had directed
the Madrigal Singers of Clarksburg.
Other activities sponsored by
the foundation during the 1980's
include appearances by the Charleston
Symphony, the West Virginia Symphonette,
Theatre West Virginia, soprano
Jane Hobson, poet Muriel Dressler,
the Nova String Quartet, the Larry
Parsons Chorale, and a sing-along
performance of the "Messiah."
It also sponsored an Architect-in-Residence
program and several high school
art contests; purchased musicians'
chairs for use in Waldomore; and
provided funds to clean the crystal
chandeliers which hang in Waldomore.
Throughout the decade of the 90's,
the foundation continued its efforts
on behalf of the arts. During
1992, a very successful concert
was held at the First United Methodist
Church to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the foundation.
For several years in the early
90's, Sunday afternoon concerts
featuring local and other artists
were held at Waldomore. These
concerts were arranged for and
hosted by Don Gardner.
As a fund-raiser in the mid-90's,
the foundation co-sponsored with
the Community Arts Partners in
Education (C.A.P.E.,) a Festival
of Trees. Local florists donated
7 fully decorated Christmas trees
which were locally displayed and
just before Christmas auctioned
to the public. At the same time,
the public had the opportunity
to view the work of local art
students. Funds realized from
this project were distributed
among the local high school art
departments.
The foundation continued to assist
the Art Center, Clarksburg Community
Concert Association, the Young
People's Orchestra, the West Virginia
Choral Arts Foundation, local
visual artists with an art exhibit
in a local book store, and it
provided assistance to the Goff
Plaza Garden Club's Wetland's
Project.
In anticipation of its 25th anniversary
in 1997, the foundation adopted
a logo designed by Georgette Griffith.
The 25th Anniversary Concert,
which was free to the public,
showcased the arts groups which
had received funding from the
foundation.
In 1998, the foundation purchased
6 easels for displaying art works
of local artists at WesBanco in
the bank lobbies. In the same
year, due to increased requests
for funding, the foundation drew
up forms for grant requests and
established a time table for those
requests.
As a result of the dissolution
of the Clarksburg Community Concert
Association, the endowment fund
received the monies left in that
association's budget after all
their expenses had been paid.
The endowment fund also received
a generous bequest from the estate
of Margaret Criswell. The fund
was also greatly enhanced when
the foundation's collection of
oil paintings was sold at public
auction in Pittsburgh. The monies
realized from the sale of this
collection added an appreciable
amount to the endowment fund.
As the foundation continues its
emphasis on the growth of the
endowment fund, a major fund-raising
project was held in 2000. It was
an "appraisal fair"
based on the format of the popular
televised Antique Roadshow. It
was considered a major success
based on its premier effort and
the foundation hopes to make this
project an annual event.
Through the years, those who have
served as president of the Clarksburg-Harrison
Cultural Foundation are:
1973 - James M. Campbell
1974 - William A. Lear
1975 - Ulysses Buffington
1976 - Ulysses Buffington
1977 - Mary Randolph
1978 - Mary Randolph
1979 - Dr. Richard Heal
1980 - Dr. Richard Heal
1981 - Dr. Richard Heal
1982 - John F. Skinner
1983 - John F. Skinner
1984 - John F. Skinner
1985 - Don Gardner
1986 - Don Gardner
1987 - Harry Berman
1988 - Dr. Richard Heal
1989 - Dr. Richard Heal
1990 - Dolores Yoke
1991 - Dolores Yoke
1992 - C. David McMunn
1993 - C. David McMunn
1994 - H. Laban White
1995 - H. Laban White
1996 - Darrell Moorhead
1997 - Darrell Moorhead
1998 - Don Gardner
1999 - Kipp Martin
2000 - Barbara Bean
2001 - Dolores Yoke
2002 - H.
Laban White
2003 - H.
Laban White
2004 - Darrell
Moorhead
2005 - Darrell
Moorhead
2006 - Ian Rudick
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