Women athletes and their achievements through the history of WCU is on display at the Mountain Heritage Center. The exhibit Clearing the Hurdles: Women and Sport at WCU, 1889 to the Present opened early September and you can see it through through Dec. 12. The exhibit explores the “people, events, and laws that helped shape […]
Mountain Heritage Center captures history with new George Masa exhibit
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
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
“(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
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
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 […]







