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Month: January 2019

West Virginia Folklife 2018 Activities Report

What has the West Virginia Folklife Program done lately? Learn about our 2018 fieldwork, programs, and activities.

2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Doug Van Gundy & Annie Stroud, Old-Time Fiddling of the Greenbrier Valley

Doug Van Gundy, of Elkins led an appenticeship in old-time fiddle of the Greenbrier Valley with Annie Stroud, of Charleston.

Recent Posts

A Tribute to Ballad Singer Phyllis Marks (June 5,1927-June 22, 2019) July 2, 2019
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: “If You want to be a part of Huntington, you need to eat at Jim’s!” June 20, 2019
Announcing the West Virginia Folklife Legends & Lore Roadside Marker Program March 25, 2019
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: “People need to know about plants”: Herbarist Marion Harless March 22, 2019
West Virginia Folklife 2018 Activities Report January 29, 2019
2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Doug Van Gundy & Annie Stroud, Old-Time Fiddling of the Greenbrier Valley January 23, 2019
2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Marion Harless & Kara Vaneck, Green Traditions December 20, 2018
West Virginia Folklife Presents Apprenticeship Showcase: Fiddle, Blues & Gospel December 17, 2018

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@wvhumanities’ Grant Deadline September 1! The Humanities Council is seeking proposals for Major grants, Media grants, Publication grants and Teacher Institute grants. For more information about the West Virginia Humanities Council grants program contact grants administrator Erin Riebe at (304) 346-8500 or via email at riebe@wvhumanities.org. Grant guidelines and applications are available on the Humanities Council website, wvhumanities.org/grants. #HumanitiesMatter #grants #WestVirginia

"I've played through 4 major floods, a mine war, and several shooting galleries. I've played in front of crowds where a thousand peoples adored me and I've left several places with a gun in my hand. And I'm still here in one piece! But Soldier's Joy has been one of my favorite tunes." 🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻 Listen to master Clay County fiddler John Morris play his version of the tune he learned from fellow Clay County fiddler Wilson Douglas (1922-1999) & was the theme song of the Morris Brothers band. Watch the full video on our YouTube channel.

We spent the day at the 2019 Serbian Annual Picnic, sponsored by the Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church in Steubenville, OH, and held at the Serbian Picnic Grounds in Weirton, #WV. An annual event since 1949, today it features a homecoming of family and friends; wood-fired chicken and lamb prepared by members of the Serbian Men's Club, homemade cabbage rolls, grilled cevaps (beef, pork & lamb sausage), cabbage & noodles, pierogis, pogaca, and pastries; and live music by Pittsburgh band RADOST. We'll be sharing more about Weirton & Steubenville's Serbian community, the Annual Picnic, and the weekly summer Chicken Blasts soon, and in the meantime you can learn more at www.facebook.com/SerbianPicnicGrounds. #wvfolklife #foodways #westvirginia

Storer College Musical Group members, Harper's Ferry, WV, 1873. From L-R in the upper row standing: Robert Trent, Portia Lovett, Mary Ella Dixon, and Charlie Hale. Sitting from L-R: Walter Johnson, Alberta Redmond, Hamilton Keys, and Mertia Lovett. The group's first concert was given in Buffalo, NY, May 2, 1873. They gave 40 concerts in the principal cities between Buffalo and Utica, going home, July 5, 1873. 📷: @wvulibraries

Happy birthday to Bill Withers, born on this day in 1938 in Raleigh County, #WestVirginia. Here he is performing “Ain't No Sunshine” in 1972. Repost @dusttodigital #wvfolklife #BillWithers

Gilmer County ballad singer Phyllis (née Frashure) Marks, passed away June 22, 2019, at the age of 92. According to folklorist Gerry Milnes, Marks was the last active ballad singer in #WestVirginia who, as she says, “learned by heart,” via oral transmission, namely from her mother Arlene Layfield Frashure, and her grandmother, Sarah Margaret Messenger Layfield, both of Irish ancestry. In fall of 2016, we hosted a special concert featuring Marks at @wvhumanities, with support from the @librarycongress American Folklife Center 2016 Henry Reed Fund Award. The concert and interview recordings and related documents are now part of an archival collection at the AFC. Phyllis Marks was revered in her community for her songs and stories, and sang regularly at local funerals, nursing homes, and for her family and visitors. She was among West Virginia’s finest musicians and was an exceptional bearer of traditional unaccompanied singing in the Appalachian region. Read our tribute to her on our blog, wvfolklife.org.

"Walking in to Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House in Huntington feels like stepping onto a movie set of a 1960s diner. A red neon sign hangs over a long awning extending to the curb, mod pea-green vinyl booths line the walls, and a laminate counter with worn bar stools sits in front of a stainless-steel backsplash so clean you can see your reflection in it. The business, which was founded in 1938 by Jim Tweel and Sally Rahall, has gone through few changes in its 81 years." 🍝🍝🍝 Our latest column in #Goldenseal celebrates @jimsspaghetti in Huntington, West Virginia's first @beardfoundation American's Classic award recipient. Read more on our blog at wvfolklife.org.

Kanawha County old-time musicians Bobby Taylor and Kim Johnson playing Ernie Carpenter’s Shelvin’ Rock at @wvhumanities West Virginia Day Open House this afternoon. We’ll be here until 4pm—stop on by!

Crystal Good (@cgoodwoman) is seeking hip-hop artists in the West Virginia counties listed above for a field survey of vernacular artists in Central Appalachia. You can get in touch with Crystal directly, and we’d love to be aware of your work too! Posted @withrepost • @cgoodwoman Thanks @duckcitymusic for this graphic - desperately seeking hip hop artists in these counties for the development of a Central Appalachian Program designed to promote the understanding, recognition, and practice of the diverse folk and traditional art practices!

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