The Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College received the first-ever Governor’s Arts Award for Folk Arts Organization in a ceremony at the West Virginia Culture Center. The West Virginia Commission on the Arts selected Augusta for the honor because of its ability to grow programming and increase access to arts education even in the face of a lingering pandemic.
“We’re truly honored to receive this award,” said Augusta Executive Director Seth Young. “We feel blessed to live and work in a state that nurtures and elevates the traditional arts. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to documenting and celebrating the folk cultures of West Virginia, Appalachia and beyond.”
“The job of preserving and passing on folk arts traditions in West Virginia is incredibly rewarding in itself, but the fact that our state leadership is taking note of the work we do here at Augusta is inspiring, to say the least,” said Emily Miller Augusta Artistic Director Emily Miller. “It will be so wonderful to welcome our local community to celebrate with us in person this summer.”
Augusta plans to return to in-person classes, concerts, dances and cultural sessions this summer. More than 100 master artists will teach on the campus of Davis & Elkins College over a three-week period in July. Lessons in blues, bluegrass, Cajun & Creole, classic country, old-time, swing and vocal music will be the centerpiece of the weeks. Diverse craft classes, as well as Folk Arts for Kids and a Teen Augusta Program, are also scheduled. To find out more about offerings and scholarship opportunities, visit augustaartsandculture.org.
Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College Executive Director Seth Young, second from left, and Artistic Director Emily Miller receive congratulations on receiving the first-ever Governor’s Arts Award for Folk Arts Organization from West Virginia Director of Arts Lance Schrader, left, West Virginia Arts Curator and Commissioner of the Arts Randall Reid-Smith, center, and Community Arts Coordinator Cedrick Farmer.
