Mode of Program Participation
Community Organizing and Educational Programming
Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley
Session Abstract or Summary
Roundtable abstract:
The New River is a significant watershed for the Appalachian region. The river directly touches eleven mountain counties as it flows from western North Carolina, through southwest Virginia, to southern West Virginia.
During the past year, graduate students at the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University have partnered with the New River Conservancy (NRC) on a series of art-based projects that support sustainable development in the upper New River valley of North Carolina. These projects build on the NRC’s history of extreme activism, fighting a proposed dam on the Virginia/North Carolina border in the 1970s. Students created this work as part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Teaching Project.
In this roundtable discussion, four students and one faculty member will present an overview of projects they created to link art, activism, and community development in Ashe and Watauga Counties of North Carolina. The presenters will offer a series of questions to allow audience members to explore the complex relationship between nature, culture, and sustainable development in this unique Appalachian watershed.
Presentation #1 Title
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley - overview
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Appalachian State University Center for Appalachian Studies Faculty member Tom Hansell will convene and introduce this session. His introduction will include an overview of the project, including the Center’s long-term partnerships with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the New River Conservancy. Hansell will also introduce each of the respondents for the roundtable discussion and help facilitate a discussion with the audience about strategies for the arts to support sustainable Appalachian communities.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Tom Hansell is an assistant professor of Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. He is a documentary filmmaker and installation artist who has worked on creative placemaking projects in Appalachia for more than 20 years. His installations have appeared in galleries nationwide, including the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. Hansell’s documentary films have been broadcast nationally on public television and has screened at international film festivals.
Presentation #2 Title
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley - cultural history
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
Cody Miller will start the roundtable discussion by presenting his work on the intersection of the cultural and economic heritage of the upper New River Valley, focusing on how water powered grist mills have shaped the local economy and landscape.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Respondent Cody Miller is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Maine and is writing a dissertation on the agroenvironmental history of twentieth-century Appalachian Virginia and North Carolina. He received a B.A. from Virginia Tech, an M.A. from the University of Maine, and an M.A. from Appalachian State University. He lives in Boone, North Carolina, where he is an instructor at Appalachian State University.
Presentation #3 Title
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley - musical heritage
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Ben Duvall-Irwin will continue the roundtable discussion with an overview of how musicians from the New River Valley have supported efforts to preserve the river.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Respondent Ben Duvall-Irwin is an MA student at Appalachian State University's Center for Appalachian Studies. He is from North Carolina and Arkansas. His research interests include cultural diversity in Appalachia, and the hybridity and cross-cultural comparisons of Appalachian music.
Presentation #4 Title
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley - arts and activism
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
Kelsey Wagner is part of a team developing an exhibit at the Turchin Center for the Arts in Boone, NC that will celebrate local efforts to protect the New River. She will discuss the process of working with community organizations to conceptualize and curate this innovative arts project.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Respondent Kelsey Wagner is a book artist, weaver, painter and graduate student at Appalachian State University. She is pursuing a Masters in Appalachian Studies, researching the impact that creative and artistic endeavors have in empowering communities by exploring craft education and guild membership in the Appalachian region.
Presentation #5 Title
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley - arts and education
Presentation #5 Abstract or Summary
Samantha Eubanks is working on involving local youth in arts based programing around the river. She will talk about the process of building bridges between community organizations and the university's arts programming.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5
Respondent Samantha Eubanks is a Graduate Student with Appalachian State University’s Center for Appalachian Studies. After spending several years as an environmental educator, her research has become focused on examining education tools and pedagogy within Appalachia. Ms. Eubanks specifically wants to develop programming that allows for low income Appalachian communities to utilize sustainable and place based educational practices. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a focus on Organizational Communication from Appalachian State University.
River Voices: Arts and Development in the Upper New River Valley - overview
Appalachian State University Center for Appalachian Studies Faculty member Tom Hansell will convene and introduce this session. His introduction will include an overview of the project, including the Center’s long-term partnerships with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the New River Conservancy. Hansell will also introduce each of the respondents for the roundtable discussion and help facilitate a discussion with the audience about strategies for the arts to support sustainable Appalachian communities.
