PARKERSBURG – Artistry, ingenuity and upcycling are among the terms used to describe the philosophy of the steampunk world.

Shelly Dusic, health information specialist with the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program and the event organizer for Vandalia-Con Steampunk Convention, said steampunk is a way of life for many.

“Steampunk is a genre of science fiction, kind of based on the Victoria era,” she said. “Artistry, ingenuity and taking old things into new things and creating gadgets and gizmos and things like that are a big part of it. There are also things about time travel, alternate history and retro-futurism.”

Dusic said two examples of steampunk are two television shows, “The Wild Wild West” from the 1960s and “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.” from the 1990s.

Centered at the Blennerhassett Hotel and running Friday through today, the convention features a number of classes on various steampunk topics and vendors selling items ranging from steampunk-themed wedding accessories to clothes to one selling gadgetometers.

“There is a little bit of everything here,” she said. “There is something for everyone.”

Dusic said all proceeds from the event are donated to the Diagnostic and Treatment Fund and Bonnie’s Bus, to ensure that breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment resources are available to all West Virginia women who need them. She said the programs are part of the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program.

Laura Becroft, of New Windsor, Md., and her husband operate Professor S.T. Punk’s Emporium. She said the business re-imagines items into various products.

“We travel to steampunk events and share our handmade wares,” she said. “We reimagine and repurpose old things to keep them out of the landfills to promote creativity.”

Becroft said she also liked the idea of the convention’s proceeds helping to make breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment resources are available to women.

“It’s worth the travel for us to come in,” she said.

Becroft said they got into the steampunk crafting after her husband started making gadgetometers.

“Basically they are items that can be utilized for costumes or just as props that can measure anything that you can imagine,” she said. “That’s a gadgetometer.”

Eli August is participating in Vandalia-Con with his band, Eli August and the Abandoned Buildings, and also with his soap-making business,

“I did an album with eight songs about famous Victorians like Edgar Allen Poe, Nikola Tesla, Florence Nightingale and Annie Oakley,” he said. “I was just starting to make soap and long drives in the car led me to start thinking of puns for the names.”

August’s selections of soaps include Edgar Allen Potpourri, Laven Darwin for Charles Darwin and Samuel Lemons for Samuel Clemens

“From there it spiraled off into things like R2-Clean You based on R2-D2,” he said. “My wife just pretty much shakes her head and says ‘Just go with it, I can’t believe you do this.'”

August said his music was influenced by steampunk and the soap was a hobby he wanted to pursue.

Susan Vanstone, of Richmond, Ky., makes steampunk and Victorian jewelry at conventions.

“I was making some jewelry before I got in and I started making steampunk about five years ago,” she said. “This is a growing area, the reasoning behind it is people are so sick and tired of never having anything they can tinker with.

“We used to be able to take things apart and tinker with them ourselves, you can’t do that with today’s technology.”

Vanstone, who is also a dentist, said working with her hands and the jewelry is an extension of her dental work.

“I combine dentistry with steampunk,” she said. “It’s worked out really well for me and my patients love it.”

Vandalia-Con Steampunk Convention will conclude today with a free Pink Block Party from 2-4 p.m. at the Downtown Farmers Market near Point Park. It will feature musical entertainment, vendors, children’s activities, a health fair and women’s health screenings from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A parade will line up at the hotel at 1 p.m. and will proceed to Point Park from 1:30-2 p.m.