All Together Arts began in 2010, emerging from a community conversation about how Mercer County could become more connected, collaborative, visible, and supported.

During a county-wide gathering convened by Create WV, the idea emerged to create a week-long celebration highlighting the incredible thriving arts community across the county to stoke unity and collaboration. Artist and community organizer Lori McKinney of RiffRaff Arts Collective shared the initial concept, which was enthusiastically embraced by the late creative visionary Pete Sterloff of Gary Bowling's House of Art, and others in attendance. The idea quickly resonated with many people, and a strong collaborative spirit began to take hold. Together with artists, organizations, venues, and community members across the county, the idea quickly grew into a collaborative movement.

For 15 years, All Together Arts Week celebrated the vibrant creative life of Mercer County through gallery hops, performances, workshops, open studios, community gatherings, and the beloved Grand Finale Parades and Day of Merriment. At the heart of it all was a simple goal: helping people discover one another, build relationships, support creativity, and experience the incredible arts culture already surrounding them.

One of the most beloved traditions to emerge from the week was the All Together Arts Trolley Hop, which invites people aboard a shared creative journey through venues, galleries, studios, and gathering spaces throughout Mercer County, encouraging friendship, creative cross-pollination, and community connection along the way.

For over a decade, artists, organizations, leaders, and community members also gathered in annual CIRCLE TALKS centered around one recurring question:

“How do we stay more connected, collaborative, and visible as a creative community year-round?”

Again and again, one of the strongest desires expressed was the need for a shared calendar, central arts hub, and a better way for people to discover the incredible creativity happening across the county.

This website is part of that evolution.

Created and offered by the RiffRaff Arts Collective as a gift to the arts community, All Together Arts now continues as an ongoing portal into the creative life of Mercer County, helping connect people with artists, venues, opportunities, events, and the broader creative ecosystem continuing to grow throughout our region.

Because maybe the future isn’t just one “All Together Arts Week” each year.