Kelson Thorne uses art to provide for his community and depict what inspires him.
written by pam queen
Artist and muralist Kelson Thorne finds inspiration in West Virginia and communities across the state. A Petersburg resident, he strives to use his art to make his community a better place.
One way he does that is through the Folk Around Appalachian Arts and Music Festival, something he has hosted twice via his art company, Art Junkie. He’s already working on the third event, planned for June 2025. Thorne says the festival will be combined with a Petersburg Art Week, taking it from a one-day event to two days. The goal is to celebrate the community with an emphasis on Appalachian arts—which includes musical acts and those specializing in fine arts.
“I try to curate exhibits with 15 to 20 Appalachian artists,” he says. “I try to get as many from West Virginia as possible. I also get three music acts. My role as an artist is more than just supplying art to the community—I’m trying to cultivate the town. There is not a lot of tourism driving traffic to the community. This lets people know we are here and trying to do something special.”
Thorne graduated in 2019 from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. His emphasis was in painting, and he continues to focus on painting, although his art includes other methods, such as digital art.
After a year in Morgantown postgraduation, Thorne made the move back to Petersburg when the pandemic struck. “I started doing the murals during COVID-19 when everyone had to isolate,” he says. “I got a good response, and it jump-started my career in this area.”
Thorne’s first mural was for a resident of Westover, across the river from Morgantown. He had never done a large-scale project but, to get the job, he says, he told the client he’d figure it out. Figure it out he did: Murals have since become a big focus for him. Many of his murals can be found spread throughout Petersburg, with others found in Keyser and Marlinton.
Murals are labor-intensive, Thorne says, but a way for him to give to the community. And they are not all he creates. “I like gallery work and focus on fine art in the gallery setting. That’s what gives me a chance to really express self-interests. I think a good artist has to provide for their community and have a little bit for themselves, too.”
Thorne shares South Side Studios in Petersburg with friends and fellow artists Jenny Nielson and Robb Shobe. It’s a working studio on the second floor of the South Side Depot, he says, meaning people can visit and see what works the three have in progress, catch them working on current pieces, and see some completed ones, too. The last Saturday of each month finds the artists working—a date that lines up with train days, when the Potomac Eagle makes a stop at the depot.
Thorne finished up the 2024 mural season with a project on a laundromat in North Carolina. As winter sets in, he’ll move indoors and focus on personal pieces and canvas paintings. kelsonthorne.com, @artjunkie123 on FB
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S WINTER 2024 ISSUE
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