What has the West Virginia Folklife Program done lately? Learn about our 2018 fieldwork, programs, and activities.
Author: West Virginia Folklife Program
Dedicated to the documentation, preservation, presentation, and support of West Virginia’s vibrant cultural heritage and living traditions. West Virginia Folklife is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Folk & Traditional Arts Program.
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.
2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Marion Harless & Kara Vaneck, Green Traditions
Marion Harless of Kerens is leading an apprenticeship in green traditions with Kara Vaneck of Weston.
West Virginia Folklife Presents Apprenticeship Showcase: Fiddle, Blues & Gospel
Please us on the evening of January 16th for our second Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase, featuring master gospel and blues musician Doris Fields (aka Lady D) with apprentice Xavier Oglesby, and master old-time fiddler John D. Morris with apprentice Jen Iskow.
2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Doris Fields aka Lady D & Xavier Oglesby, Blues & Black Gospel
Doris Fields aka Lady D, of Beckley, is leading an apprenticeship in blues and black gospel, with Xavier Oglesby of Beckley.
West Virginia Folklife Presents Apprenticeship Showcase: Old-Time Fiddle & Salt Rising Bread
Please join us on the evening of Wednesday, December 12 for the first Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase, featuring master old-time fiddler Doug Van Gundy with apprentice fiddler Annie Stroud, and master salt rising bread bakers Jenny Bardwell and Susan Brown with apprentice baker Amy Dawson.
2018 Master Artists & Apprentice Feature: Genevieve Bardwell, Susan Ray Brown & Amy Dawson, Salt Rising Bread
Genevieve (Jenny) Bardwell and Susan Ray Brown of Mount Morris, Pennsylvania are leading an apprenticeship in salt rising bread with Amy Dawson of Lost Creek.
2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: John Morris & Jen Iskow, Old-Time Fiddling and Stories of Clay County
John D. Morris of Ivydale is leading an apprenticeship on old-time fiddling, focusing on the traditions of Clay County, with Jen Iskow of Thomas. The first in a series featuring our five 2018 Folklife Apprentice Pairs.
St. Albans Artisan Has Been Making Neon Signs By Hand For Five Decades: A Profile of James L. Day
James L. Day of Day Sign Company in St. Albans has been making neon signs for five decades and is one of the last hand tube benders in West Virginia’s Kanawha Valley. We worked with West Virginia Public Broadcasting to produce a radio & video mini-documentary about Day for Inside Appalachia’s Road Trip episode.
West Virginia Folklife at New Story in Lewisburg, May 31-June 1
This spring, the West Virginia Folklife Program is partnering with the WV Community Development Hub‘s New Story to showcase our West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program! Learn more about our inaugural apprenticeship program– which supports master traditional artists and their apprentices in a year-long in-depth apprenticeship– here. On May 31- June 1 at the State Fairgrounds in…
Textile Artist Susan Feller on the McDonald Sisters of Gilmer County
Words and photos by Susan Feller My upbringing in the 1950s and 60s rural Appalachians, where I earned Girl Scout badges and was taught handwork by generations of women, were the experiences that influenced my craft work and historical research. When I learned how to pull wool fabric loops through a loose weave backing– rug…
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: A Visit with Frank & Jane George
The State Folklorist’s Notebook is a regular column written by state folklorist Emily Hilliard for Goldenseal Magazine. This article appears in the Spring 2018 issue, a tribute to late West Virginia old-time musician Frank George. It was a chilly afternoon in April 2016 when I made the trip to Walton for an interview with Frank and Jane…
