This coming October 25th through 27th, the University of Kentucky’s Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program is set to kick-off their ambitious Global Mountain Regions Conference. The three day event is a transnational exploration and conversation of the shared economic, social, and historical challenges that mountain regions face within both national and global contexts.
A symposium to honor the life and literary legacy of James Still, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.
Driving was one of the most chaotic experiences in China. In this video we are driving to the Waterfall Temple, where we will play Mahjong, an ancient Chinese game played with cards or tiles. Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and a certain degree of chance. A&S Hive member Yiwen Chen and her friends taught us how to play the game of Mahjong in a cave which is behind a waterfall.
Filmed and Edited by: Dana Rogers
Frank Walker, associate professor in the Department of English, discusses the origin of the word "Affrilachia" and how the use of the word forces the redefinition of a region traditionally described as all-white. Walker noted several key artists and intellectuals from Appalachia to illustrate the region's cultural diversity.
Ron Pen, a professor in the UK School of Music, discussed how Appalachian music unities people and place, and how the styles brought to the region by its immigrant residents combined and generated several new musical genres, such as swing, bluegrass, rockabilly, and contry. Music creates a bond that binds individuals as shared community and creates a society based on values rooted to identiy and place.
Arturo Sandoval, a professor in the College of Fine Arts, discussed representations of beauty and diversity through the work of Appalachian quilt artists. He used the international art quilt competition Quilt National biannual as his main research reference. Quilt National is described as a trendsetter in the fiber art fild and displays the most important and innovative art quilts from around the world. Sandoval's presentation guided attendees through a variety of fiber arts and mixed media quilts.
As university graduates increasingly require international perspectives, skills and knowledge, UK is using a new program called Global Classroom Connections that allows students to use new technologies to gain international experiences independent of financial or other constraints.
The Appalachian Center and University Press of Kentucky are hosting three events to celebrate Appalachia-related books published during this academic year.
The University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences will present the Distinguished Professor Lecture, featuring History Professor Ron Eller at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 12 in the William T. Young Library auditorium.
The UK Appalachian Center and Appalachian Studies Program will host the author, director, full cast and technical crew of Silas House's new play, "This is My Heart For You," fresh from its world premiere at Berea College.
