Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
Black Mountain College—Interdisciplinary Explorations
Session Abstract or Summary
Black Mountain: An Exploration in Community describes Black Mountain College (BMC) as “the forerunner and exemplar of much that is currently considered innovative in art, education and lifestyle.” Many of the innovations resulted from living and working in close proximity to each other, which resulted in experiential learning, crossing disciplinary lines, and sharing influences. Although it was a short-lived institution (1933-1957), BMC was a remarkable educational experiment, including writers, dancers, potters, painters, designers, innovators in a number of fields; pedagogy there was not confined to classrooms or studios. Appalachian State is conducting a dynamic exploration of this legacy through the Black Mountain College Semester. Rather than simply celebrating the BMC legacy, this session will focus on the interdisciplinary explorations and collaborations to put BMC’s ethos into action through doing. While not exactly providing a “how-to” playbook for events in other communities, we will offer inspiration and possibilities by discussing logistics and highlighting collaborative efforts. These include archivists who work with library collections, such as the papers of BMC founder John Andrew Rice, which are housed in Appalachian State’s W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Belk Library; teachers who will use archival and other materials in classrooms; creators of a digital timeline; and editors of a special issue of Appalachian Journal. Appalachian Studies puts “place” at the center of pedagogy, as a strategy which applies to exploring and enacting the interdisciplinary radical educational experiment that was Black Mountain College.
Presentation #1 Title
Organizing a Black Mountain College Semester: From Grant-writing to Harvesting Bamboo for Geodesic Domes
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Black Mountain: An Exploration in Community describes Black Mountain College (BMC) as “the forerunner and exemplar of much that is currently considered innovative in art, education and lifestyle.” Many of the innovations resulted from living and working in close proximity to each other, which resulted in experiential learning, crossing disciplinary lines, and sharing influences. Although it was a short-lived institution (1933-1957), BMC was a remarkable educational experiment, including writers, dancers, potters, painters, designers, innovators in a number of fields; pedagogy there was not confined to classrooms or studios. Appalachian State is conducting a dynamic exploration of this legacy through the Black Mountain College Semester. Rather than simply celebrating the BMC legacy, this session will focus on the interdisciplinary explorations and collaborations to put BMC’s ethos into action through doing. While not exactly providing a “how-to” playbook for events in other communities, we will offer inspiration and possibilities by discussing logistics and highlighting collaborative efforts. These include archivists who work with library collections, such as the papers of BMC founder John Andrew Rice, which are housed in Appalachian State’s W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Belk Library; teachers who will use archival and other materials in classrooms; creators of a digital timeline; and editors of a special issue of Appalachian Journal. Appalachian Studies puts “place” at the center of pedagogy, as a strategy which applies to exploring and enacting the interdisciplinary radical educational experiment that was Black Mountain College.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. William Schumann is the director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. He is the editor of the forthcoming Engaging Appalachia: A Guidebook for Building Capacity and Sustainability and is co-editor of Appalachia Revisited: New Perspectives on Place, Tradition, and Progress (University Press of Kentucky, 2016).
Presentation #2 Title
Behind the Scenes in a Black Mountain College Semester: Connecting People and Resources for Creative Engagement
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Kelsey Wagner is completing her M.A. in Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University while serving as a research associate for the Black Mountain College Semester project. She has a B.A. in art from Western Michigan University and has run art programming for the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and received advanced ceramics training in Italy. She is currently focusing on using art and creative programming in wildlife conservation communication.
Presentation #3 Title
How We Can Use What’s in Those Boxes: The Role of University Special Collections in a Black Mountain College Semester
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Dustin Witsman is processing archivist at Appalachian State University. He holds an M.L.I.S. from Dominican University with a Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services and a B.A. in English from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dustin has worked in archives including the Center for Black Music Research; Shorefront Legacy Center; the Institute of Jazz Studies; and the Center for the History of Rural Iowa Education and Culture.
Presentation #4 Title
Reading Other People’s Mail: What Do Library Special Collections Contribute to a Black Mountain College Semester?
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Trevor McKenzie is a specialist in the archives of the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Appalachian State University. He is currently in coursework for a Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Presentation #5 Title
Creating a Special Issue of Appalachian Journal on Black Mountain College
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5
Savannah Paige Murray is a PhD student in Rhetoric & Writing at Virginia Tech. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wofford College with degrees in history and environmental studies. She earned her M.A. in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University and served as Guest Editor along with Sandra L. Ballard and Joseph Bathanti for the Black Mountain College special edition of Appalachian Journal.
Conference Subthemes
Education
Organizing a Black Mountain College Semester: From Grant-writing to Harvesting Bamboo for Geodesic Domes
Black Mountain: An Exploration in Community describes Black Mountain College (BMC) as “the forerunner and exemplar of much that is currently considered innovative in art, education and lifestyle.” Many of the innovations resulted from living and working in close proximity to each other, which resulted in experiential learning, crossing disciplinary lines, and sharing influences. Although it was a short-lived institution (1933-1957), BMC was a remarkable educational experiment, including writers, dancers, potters, painters, designers, innovators in a number of fields; pedagogy there was not confined to classrooms or studios. Appalachian State is conducting a dynamic exploration of this legacy through the Black Mountain College Semester. Rather than simply celebrating the BMC legacy, this session will focus on the interdisciplinary explorations and collaborations to put BMC’s ethos into action through doing. While not exactly providing a “how-to” playbook for events in other communities, we will offer inspiration and possibilities by discussing logistics and highlighting collaborative efforts. These include archivists who work with library collections, such as the papers of BMC founder John Andrew Rice, which are housed in Appalachian State’s W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Belk Library; teachers who will use archival and other materials in classrooms; creators of a digital timeline; and editors of a special issue of Appalachian Journal. Appalachian Studies puts “place” at the center of pedagogy, as a strategy which applies to exploring and enacting the interdisciplinary radical educational experiment that was Black Mountain College.
