Promoting Creativity and Learning with Gracie Queen

I chat with Gracie Queen. Gracie is the marketing coordinator for the Clay Center for Arts and Sciences of West Virginia. She grew up visiting the Clay Center and now helps promote everything it offers. She tells me about the different parts of the center, including the Juliet Art Museum, the Avampato Discovery Museum, the Maier Performance Hall, and the Caperton Planetarium and Theater.

Gracie shares that her first memory of the Clay Center is from a school field trip. Now working behind the scenes, she gets to see the start to finish of events and projects. She says it is a different experience getting to know all the hidden parts of the building and working with a team across education and performance departments.

We talk about event days and how they require a lot of collaboration. Gracie explains that every event is different, from education programs to planetarium shows. She mentions that new exhibits rotate in regularly, and the newest is Space Lab. Space Lab is designed to inspire future engineers and scientists by giving kids hands-on experiences in STEM learning.

Gracie tells me how important STEM education is. She shares her personal story of growing up involved in the arts and how that background led her to where she is today. She believes that the combination of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math helps shape young lives.

On the arts side, she highlights upcoming events like the West Virginia Invitational, a showcase of state artists, and performances such as a tribute to ABBA and a final Broadway show for the season. She encourages everyone to check the website, www.theclaycenter.org, and to follow them on social media to stay updated on events.