When George Masa took a picture of the Smoky Mountains, he wasn’t just taking a picture of their landscape, he was taking a picture of their future. The Mountain Heritage Center opened an exhibit on Friday, Jan. 17 until Aug. 15, 2025, for people to learn about Masa’s life and see some of the photos […]
Mountain Heritage Center: A regional heart of Appalachian traditions
May 3, 2022 by
Story co-written/produced with Charles Gadie Walking through the door, visitors are greeted with a smile from the student workers at the front desk and a sense of curiosity. Many wondering ‘what is this hidden place’. The Mountain Heritage Center is Western Carolina University’s museum of southern Appalachian history and culture. Currently in their gallery exhibit, the […]
Ballad “Barbara Allen” jump starts a hopeful career for a young storyteller
March 30, 2017 by
“(Ballads are) a way for me to connect with a world that I was told a lot about by relatives of mine…” said James Woodburn, Asheville local and musician. “…but funnily enough, I feel closer to it than the stuff you hear on the radio today. It’s ephemeral, it’s like words in stone that seem […]
Crank up the tractor and grab a banjo, Mountain Heritage Day is back
September 22, 2016 by
Mountain Heritage Day will return for its 42nd year this Saturday, Sept. 24. The long-standing event is packed with Southern Appalachian-infused music, dancing, arts, food, and culture. Located at WCU’s intramural fields from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mountain Heritage Day will have free admission and parking as WCU opens their doors to all to […]
Apartheid exhibit features new additions
March 18, 2016 by
WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center held a reception on March 16 to showcase their exhibit, ‘From Apartheid to Democracy’. The reception included South African food and music, as well as several new additions that have been made to the exhibit since it opened on Feb. 1. Some of the foods included in the reception were peri […]
South African Apartheid exhibit offers a lesson of forgiveness
February 13, 2016 by
An earlier version of this story did not give credit to Hilary Lindler for providing the loan of the Amy Biehl materials and the 1994 election ballot to the exhibit. It has been corrected. Living in a country where democracy is so often taken for granted, it’s difficult to imagine a time and place where […]
