Tag: Appalachian Studies

Silas House Receives Governors’ Award

Last modified: January 26, 2021

Silas House

The following article was originally posted on artscouncil.ky.gov.

Silas House is the recipient of the 2020 Artist Award from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as part of the annual Governor’s Award in the Arts.

The Commonwealth’s most prestigious arts awards honor Kentucky individuals, businesses and organizations that make significant contributions to the arts in the state. Governor’s Awards in the Arts recipients exemplify a diversity of accomplishments in all areas of the arts as well as the irreplaceable value of those contributions to the state’s communities, educational environment and economy. The combined achievements and contributions of this year’s esteemed group of recipients demonstrate the many ways that citizens of Kentucky uphold the tradition of creating a rich cultural legacy.

The ceremony will be held on January 26 at 11 a.m. EST and is available to watch on YouTube.

Born in Corbin, Silas House, who was hailed by fellow Kentucky writer Barbara Kingsolver as one of her “favorite writers and human beings,” is a multiple award-winning, New York Times and nationally best-selling novelist.

Continue reading Silas House Receives Governors’ Award →

Julie Nelms Wins 2017 Red Foley Music Award

Last modified: May 17, 2018

2017 Red Foley Award winner Julie NelmsJulie Nelms ’17, a senior Appalachian studies major from Robbinsville, North Carolina, won the 2017 Red Foley Music Award. This award, established in memory of Country Music Hall of Fame star Red Foley who attended the Berea Academy, is presented by the Berea College Alumni Association once each academic year to recognize talented Berea students for their musical contributions to the social life of the campus community. The award consists of a plaque and cash prize intended to help the recipient in a professional music career, if he or she so desires. Continue reading Julie Nelms Wins 2017 Red Foley Music Award →

2016 Weatherford Award Winners for Best Appalachian Books Announced

Last modified: March 12, 2019

The winners of the 2016 Weatherford Awards are Crystal Wilkinson’s The Birds of Opulence (fiction), Marc Harshman’s Believe What You Can (poetry), and Steven E. Nash’s Reconstruction’s Ragged Edge: The Politics of Postwar Life in the Southern Mountains (nonfiction).

The Weatherford Awards honor books that “best illuminate the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South.” Granted by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association for forty-seven years, the awards commemorate the life and achievements of W.D. Weatherford, Sr., a pioneer and leading figure in Appalachian development, youth work, and race relations, and of his son, Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., who was Berea College’s sixth President (1967-84). Continue reading 2016 Weatherford Award Winners for Best Appalachian Books Announced →

Fulbright Fellowship Granted to Miller

Last modified: June 4, 2018

Published originally in the Spring 2011 issue of Berea College Magazine

by Deb McIntyre, ’11

Chris Miller, associate director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center and College curator, has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship for the fall 2011 semester. This fellowship will allow him to travel to IvanoFrankivsk, Ukraine, in the Carpathian mountain range to explore Appalachian parallels. He will research how “material culture is used to construct and portray highlander identity.” Comparative regional scholarship is considered to be on the leading edge of contemporary Appalachian studies. Chris has pursued similar studies in the past.

Chris Green: Making a Difference in Appalachia

Last modified: June 6, 2018
Dr. Chris Green

Dr. Chris Green

Chris Green is a busy man. This is most readily evidenced by the titles he holds: Director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center (LJAC), Associate Professor of Appalachian Studies, Program Coordinator of Appalachian Studies, Continue reading Chris Green: Making a Difference in Appalachia →

Sam Gleaves Talks Berea and Mountain Music

Last modified: May 24, 2018

Originally posted on April 14, 2011 by WC Kilby

Sam Gleaves’ casual and cheery demeanor accounts for his nicknames, “Smiling Sam” and “Sunshine Sam,” as he is known around campus, both for his friendly nature and yellow hair. Continue reading Sam Gleaves Talks Berea and Mountain Music →

Sam Gleaves

Last modified: May 25, 2018

The face of Sam Gleaves, ’14, lights up when he describes his new project. An Appalachian Studies major, he is well-known around campus for spirited performances on banjo with the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble. He is currently focusing his passion and talent on documenting the work of mountain music’s old guard. When Academic Vice-President Chad Berry, former director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, approached him about the project, Sam understood its relevance to his field of study and to the College’s commitment to Appalachia, and he immediately knew which musicians he wanted to work with. Continue reading Sam Gleaves →