2010 date TBD.

Celebrating art, education and community, a Very Special Arts Festival takes place each May at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center. Groups of children and adults from throughout the Northern Panhandle attend this day of camaraderie and creative expression.

The event is held in conjunction with VSA, an international nonprofit organization where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. Support is provided by West Virginia Stepping Stones, a Morgantown affiliate of VSA that strives to help people with disabilities grow in the areas of awareness, self-expression, community participation, physical, mental and emotional health, leadership and self-esteem.

Blending the art of wine with the visual arts, Oglebay Institute offers several wine tasting events throughout the year at the Stifel Fine Arts Center.

Sponsored by H.E. Neumann Co., wine tasting events invite guests to spend memorable evenings socializing with friends in an elegant, relaxing atmosphere. Each tasting includes a wine expert, who shares tips and information on selecting and serving wines and leads the tasting of award-winning vintages. Guests also enjoy a buffet of light foods and viewing the current art exhibition on display in the Hart Galleries.

Click here for a complete Art of Wine schedule.

Organized through a joint effort between Oglebay Institute and ArtWorks Around Town, the event invites painters to recreate on canvas the visual feast of nature’s beauty and allows visitors to learn more about painting “en plein air” (in the open air).

The public can watch artists at work, moving from painter to painter throughout the weekend. Receptions and exhibits allow guests to meet the artists and view the art.

This annual event creates camaraderie among artists, provides a venue for artists to learn from each other and gives the public a chance to see art in progress.

Click here for more information.

With a huge Christmas tree in the formal living room and a unique Woodcarvers Tree in the entryway, there are lots of holiday decorations to enjoy along with tea sandwiches, cookies and hot tea. Guests of all ages are welcome and also will enjoy viewing the current art exhibition on display in the Stifel Center’s Hart Galleries

The Stifel Center was the former home of industrialist Edward W. Stifel and became home to Oglebay Institute’s visual and performing arts departments in 1977. Located at 1330 National Road in Wheeling, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was once known as the Edemar Mansion.