August 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of Hatfield’s wake, which was hosted in his upstairs apartment.
Cool NEW public art project in Matewan!
We are looking for a visual artist to design and create a collaborative, community-based mural inside the stairwell of the Nenni Building, newly owned by Coalfield Development! More details on the project and how to apply are found here.
The Nenni buildings are located on Mate Street in the heart of the Matewan Historic District, in Mingo County, WV. As the backdrop of the 1920s Mine Wars, the Nenni buildings served a variety of purposes: from a miners’ union headquarters, to the town jewelry store, to the home of Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield, whose apartment was located on the second floor. Hatfield, a beloved champion for his community, stood up for his residents’ rights to unionize during the Mine Wars, which ultimately cost him his life.
The deadline to apply is February 15. More details, including background, project scope, goals, and budget for phase 1, and application instructions are here or at the button below.
This is a collaborative community mural which will take place in two phases. Phase One is the Design Phase, beginning immediately after artist selection (March 1), and will involve a series of virtual and in person meetings between the selected artist, Organization Stakeholders (Coalfield Development and WV Mine Wars Museum) and Community Stakeholders (various members & organizations of the Matewan community), arriving at a design based on the project goals.
The Public Art Installation will cover approximately 2 floors of wall space within one stairwell.
