Buckhannon in Upshur County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Ladybugs Hibernating

Public Art

Photographed by Bradley Owen, March 10, 2025

1. Ladybugs Hibernating Marker

Inscription.
Location #6D
Charley Harper • Ladybugs Hibernating • 1968 • Serigraph
Artist Statement

"Come October, a lone ladybug gives the signal. Issuing a pheromone triggered by a freezing temp and a dearth of aphids to eat-the insect utilizes its social medium, scent, for maximum sociability. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of ladybugs respond to the olfactory S.O.S. Huddling together for warmth in a crevice beneath fallen leaves, they slow their bodily processes-hibernating-until the stirrings of springtime." - Brett Harper

Artist Blography

Charley Harper (August 4, 1922-June 10, 2007) was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was born in Frenchton, West Virginia, and attended West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Harper's upbringing on his family farm influenced his work to his last days, and we celebrate him as West Virginia's most well-known native graphic artist.

Charley left his farm home to study art at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and won the Academy's first Stephen H. Wilder Traveling Scholarship. Charley met fellow artist Edie McKee while attending the Academy, and they

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would marry shortly after graduation in 1947. Charley and Edie spent their honeymoon traveling the U.S., mainly in the West and South. Charley returned to the Art Academy of Cincinnati as a teacher and also worked for a graphic design firm before working on his own. He and Edie worked out of their Roselawn and Finneytown homes, and later, with their only child Brett Harper, formed Harper Studios.

Erected 2019 by www.ART26201.com. (Marker Number 6D.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1968.

Location. 38° 59.632′ N, 80° 13.71′ W. Marker is in Buckhannon, West Virginia, in Upshur County. It is on Traders Alley south of East Main Street (County Route 151), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 39 East Main Street, Buckhannon WV 26201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Central West Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally,

<i>Ladybugs Hibernating</i> and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, March 10, 2025

2. Ladybugs Hibernating and Marker

it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Unzipped (here, next to this marker); Monkey Mural (a few steps from this marker); Shadow Dancers (a few steps from this marker); Homebody (a few steps from this marker); Charles Burton "Charley" Harper (a few steps from this marker); Stockert Building / People's Grocery & Home Hardware (within shouting distance of this marker); Sail Fence (within shouting distance of this marker); Dairy Queen / Buckhannon City Hall (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Buckhannon.

Harper's Artwork Along Traders Alley image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, March 10, 2025

3. Harper's Artwork Along Traders Alley

Credits. This page was last revised on April 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 1, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 3. submitted on April 2, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.