Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Documenting Identity in Watauga County, NC: The Way Watauga Works and Stories YES!
Session Abstract or Summary
The Way Watauga Works, is an exhibition exploring the history and essence of work of individuals in our local area of Watauga County, it features portraits and oral histories collected from 31 individuals working within our community. The youngest participant is 24 years old, and the oldest is 78 years old. Oral histories have been transcribed in both English and Spanish. Each oral history, which can be listened to online, is accompanied by a full-color portrait captured by photographer Ashley Warren of Natural Craft Photography.
The Way Watauga Works also features four documentaries made by the 8th grade class of Bethel School as part of the Smithsonian’s Stories YES! program. This project is made possible thanks to a Stories YES! grant from Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the North Carolina Humanities Council. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
The Way Watauga Works oral histories were collected and transcribed by Willard Watson with assistance from Hannah McLeod, Ashley Warren, and Dr. Katherine Ledford’s Appalachian Stories class for the Fall of 2017.
This project was made possible through the support of the North Carolina Humanities Council, the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street Stories: YES! Program, Appalachian State University’s University Documentary Film Services, Bethel School, Dr. Patricia Beaver, Tom Hansell, and the hardworking individuals who gave up their time and shared their stories with us.
Presentation #1 Title
Museum on Main Street: The Way Watauga Works
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
If space is available it would be best to display this exhibit at the conference instead of hosting a presentation. The requirements are, wall space and hardware to hang 25 36"x36" framed photographs, room for mounting foam core text boxes under each image. Room for mounting 10 foam core images/text panels each ~2"x2" which contain historical information and images framing the rest of the exhibit.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Willard C. Watson III, has a Masters in Appalachian Studies with a concentration on Sustainability and a B.S. in Sustainable Development both from Appalachian State University. His academic and volunteer passions intersect on the topic of cultural preservation and community development through the creative arts. He enjoys performing music with his band Mexican Hot Chocolate, cooking, and rock climbing. He also serves as the Food Vendor and Seminar Coordinator for the High Country Beer Fest.
Presentation #2 Title
The Way Watauga Works: Photographing a Community
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
This presentation will focus on the process creating the images for the Watauga Works exhibit and what goes into photographing portraits of 31 strangers. Questions that will be addressed are: How do you get someone you don't know to show their best face? How do you make a photograph which captures the essence of someone's work? The exhibit is a mix of film and digital photography and how the photographs were selected will be explored in this presentation.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Ashley Warren, originally from New Orleans, she attended UNC-Chapel Hill and graduated with a BFA with a concentration in Art History. While at UNC, she focused on film photography and working in the analog darkroom. Steeped in the music, art, and cultural diversity that southeast Louisiana offers, she loves jazz and blues. Ashley is a freelance photographer, artist and musician, frequently traveling across the state for work, new experiences, and to explore.
Presentation #3 Title
Stories YES! at Bethel School
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
Stories: YES! from the Smithson's Museum on Main Street program provides funds to train and equip students for Youth Engagement and Skill-building (YES!). Since 2012, hundreds of young people infifteen states have created digital stories and shared them online.
Each spring, young people across the country engage their communities to discover and digitally document their unique history by utilizing professional equipment. Organizations hosting a Museum on Main Street exhibition are invited by Humanities Councils to submit a proposal for Stories: YES!.
In 2017, BRAHM was awarded the Stories: YES! grant. Since November 2017, BRAHM has worked with the 8th grade class of Bethel School. Grant funds from Stories YES! were used to purchase equipment and schedule workshops for students. Students attended workshops based on narrative structure, storytelling, photo composition, interviewing, and video editing. The seventeen students split into four groups and chose to focus on members of their community. After the project concluded all of the equipment remained at Bethel school for future classes to use.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Adam Sheffield holds a Masters degree in Appalachian Studies and currently serves as the Digitization Specialist for the Digital Scholarship & Initiatives team in the library at Appalachian State University in Boone NC. His work provides digital access to the materials in ASU's Special Collections, and also includes various Documentary Film projects and instructional sessions on campus
Museum on Main Street: The Way Watauga Works
If space is available it would be best to display this exhibit at the conference instead of hosting a presentation. The requirements are, wall space and hardware to hang 25 36"x36" framed photographs, room for mounting foam core text boxes under each image. Room for mounting 10 foam core images/text panels each ~2"x2" which contain historical information and images framing the rest of the exhibit.
