Exhibition Opening Celebration

Uncle Dave Penland, 1915. William A. Barnhill Collection, Southern Appalachian Archives, Mars Hill University.

Drop in to the campus museum to celebrate the opening of the spring 2023 exhibition.

The new exhibition explores the photography of William A. Barnhill, who, from 1914 through 1917, explored rural communities around Asheville, collecting images of people spinning, weaving, whittling, and making “every simple thing” for everyday use. In this exhibition, Barnhill’s collection (housed in MHU’s Southern Appalachian Archives) stands alongside a selection of modern art and crafts, highlighting the relationship between simple functionality and individual expression that stands at the heart of Appalachian handicrafts.