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October 2018
Fright Night: Appalachian Ghost Stories
Join storyteller and musician Jim Lloyd for a campfire, s'mores, and some spine-tingling mountain tales! A multi-instrumentalist best known for his banjo and guitar work, Jim Lloyd’s musical roots extend back through at least four generations of fiddlers, guitar players, dancers and singers from the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. Lloyd is a barber, musician, and storyteller, who lives, works, and plays in Rural Retreat, Virginia. His performance credits include IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, Mountain Stage, the John C.…
Find out more »Reel Appalachia: Night of the Hunter
Night of the Hunter, dir. Charles Laughton, 1955 In the spirit of October, the Ramsey Center is excited to bring you an appropriately scary thriller! Based on a 1953 Southern Gothic novel by Davis Grubb and with a screenplay co-written by James Agee (A Death in the Family), Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955) tells the story of the Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum). Rev. Powell is a religious fanatic and serial killer who is serving time in…
Find out more »November 2018
The Product of Our Souls: James Reese Europe CD Release
Mars Hill University professor of history and Asheville musician, Dr. David Gilbert, will be hosting a CD Release Party for the companion CD to his book, The Product of Our Souls. This CD, from the Grammy-nominated historical record label Archeophone Records, features the syncopated dance band sounds of James Reese Europe, the man behind the mostly-forgotten soundtrack to pre-World War I "Black Manhattan" during the craze in ragtime music and dance. Remastered for the first time, James Europe's eight recordings for…
Find out more »Shades Of Meaning: The Story Of Word On The Street/La Voz De Los Jovenes
Shades Of Meaning: The Story Of Word On The Street/La Voz De Los Jovenes As a program of Asheville Writers in the Schools and Community (AWITSC), Word on the Street/La Voz de los Jóvenes centers the leadership and creativity of black and brown youth, age 13-19, in the production of a bilingual online arts, culture, and information magazine for youth, with mentorship and training provided by staff and community partners. Now in its third year, the program works to train…
Find out more »Appalachian Evenings: Tobacco in Southern Appalachia
Mixed Harvest: Tobacco in Southern Appalachia, 1870-1950 with Tom Lee The 2004 tobacco buyout program and the end of the auction marketing system transformed agriculture in Southern Appalachia. Once a standard feature of the Mountain South's rural landscape, the ubiquitous tobacco patches have largely vanished. Memories of tobacco linger among those who grew, harvested, and sold the golden weed, but over time the memories have grown sparser, disappearing like the barns, warehouses, and other physical reminders of a time when…
Find out more »Old Time Holiday Crafts
Do you need a break from studying, working, or grading? Drop by the Ramsey Center (located inside Renfro Library) for some cider, sugar cookies, and other goodies. We’ll be making some old-timey holiday crafts to decorate our tree and we’d love for you to join us and make a craft either for our tree or to take home! Admission is free and the event is open to all.
Find out more »December 2018
Holly and the Ivy: Holiday Community Sing with Suzannah Park
Let’s warm up the winter eve with sweet holiday harmonies! No experience necessary, just bring your voice. Participants will learn a variety of holiday songs, including some traditional to Southern Appalachia. Suzannah comes from a family of three generations of traditional singers, storytellers, and dancers and is happily making music touring about the country from concert halls to music parties back at home. Based in her native Asheville she was the cofounder in 2008 (along with Nathan Morrison) of the…
Find out more »January 2019
Appalachian Evenings: After Coal
After Coal Screening and Book Talk with Tom Hansell Join us for an evening with Tom Hansell, director of After Coal (2016) and author of the brand new book After Coal: Stories of Survival in Appalachia and Wales (West Virginia University Press, 2018). The documentary will be screened and will be followed by a discussion and talk with Hansell. Film and Book Synopsis: What happens when fossil fuels run out? After Coal profiles inspiring individuals who are building a new…
Find out more »Around Here: G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter
A Dark Road is a Hard Road to Travel: The Lives and Careers of G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter G.B. Grayson and Henry Whitter were one of the most influential musical duos in the history of traditional music, popularizing songs like "Little Maggie," "Handsome Molly," "Train 45," and many others. Although their lives were both cut tragically short, their enduring legacy continues to resonate today. Their lives and music provide a fascinating insight into life in the Appalachian Mountains at…
Find out more »February 2019
Around Here: Heirloom Tomatoes
Growing and Eating Heirloom Tomatoes We all love tomatoes! Explore the growing and culture of heirloom tomatoes and the incredible diversity of varieties available to the home gardener – with a special emphasis on tomatoes in the southern Appalachians. This talk will be just in time for you to start your own heirloom seeds! Chris Smith of Sow True Seed comes from a green thumbed British family but has lived in the Southeast since 2012. He is a garden writer…
Find out more »Appalachian Evenings: Stories of the Snowbird Day School
ᏚᏗᏱ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗᎢ ᎤᏂᏃᎮᎸᏅᎢ (Stories of the Snowbird Day School) The Snowbird Day School evolved from Quaker-led initiatives in the late 19th century to educate young Cherokee Indians living in Tuti yi, a Native community in Western North Carolina. By the early 20th century, the school was administered by the federal government via the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and as with most federally-run schools for Native students, it sought to assimilate Indian youth into white, Anglophone culture. Over the course of…
Find out more »April 2019
Appalachian Evenings: Cherokee Arts and Crafts
The Evolution of Cherokee Arts and Crafts Tonya E. Carroll will talk about the evolution of Cherokee arts and crafts and the history of Qualla arts and crafts in conjunction with the Ramsey Center’s display of Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual: Tradition & Innovation (on loan from Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center). Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc., was founded in Cherokee, NC, in 1946, and is the oldest Native American artists’ cooperative in the United States. The legendary…
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