West Virginia
WV Folklife Program preserves and presents the art of West Virginia’s everyday traditions – Dominion Post
Your father’s peanut brittle recipe that you bring into the office every holiday.
The slightly lopsided sweater that keeps you warm on chilly winter mornings, knit with the skills learned from your aunt.
Spring days spent teaching your children the same morel foraging tips your grandfather shared with you when he was your age.
Traditions are a focal part of our everyday lives as West Virginans, as Appalachians and as Americans — whether it’s something we’re conscious of or simply carry out instinctively. The state Humanities Council’s West Virginia Folklife Program is just one way the vibrant arts and traditions of the Mountain State are being kept alive and shared with the next generation, fellow West Virginians of all backgrounds and non-West Virginians alike.
The council biennially invites specialists of Appalachian traditions and their apprentices to apply to its West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. The program seeks renowned masters of their art to impart their expertise on an enthusiastic mentee. Selected pairs receive approximately $3,800 to be used for a year of one-on-one, personalized guidance in their chosen tradition.
The program has seen a variety of arts and traditions since its start in 2015. Last year’s seven mentor-apprentice pairs’ specialties included mushroom foraging, soul food cooking, Appalachian storytelling, clawhammer banjo, old-time fiddling, fiddle repair and fiber arts.
“We’re facilitating this opportunity to pass on traditional knowledge, and we’re also offering an opportunity for people who live [in West Virginia] to learn about, get excited about and to celebrate the traditional practices that are existing and carrying on here,” said state folklorist and program director Jennie Williams. “[It’s also] something to be proud of and something to let people know about in other states. This is a chance for us to show what we do, what we’re proud of and the things that are meaningful to us.”
This is accomplished not only through the mentorships themselves, but also the ways the experience is shared beyond apprentice and mentor. Throughout their time in the program, participants are asked to share their art with their community, whether it be through a public demonstration or performance, a workshop or other form of public event. At the end of the apprenticeships, a series of public showcases present the ways each pair honed their skills in the year spent learning together.
The techniques learned, art created and experiences shared don’t end with the mentorships, either — through its public access online archive, the ever-growing WV Folklife Program Collection, the WV Folklife Program also documents photos, interviews, creative works, music and more that reflect the cultural value and significant figures of West Virginia folklife.
Although preservation of cultural practices is vital, Williams emphasizes that traditions are not only meant to be passed along, but to grow and find new form.
“Tradition as a concept isn’t static. It needs to adapt in order to carry on,” said Williams. “It’s important to see how the apprentice and teaching artists are keeping their tradition relevant in a contemporary context, so that they may be adding their own creativity to it. If they don’t do that, then it can be really hard to carry on a traditional practice. You want to be able to associate your own meaning and memories to it. You want to be able to see yourself in it.”
Program alumni James Froemel of Maidsville and his mentor, Bil Lepp, worked to strengthen this very skill, among others, during the 2022–23 session of the program. The pair focused on the age-old art of Appalachian storytelling, a timeless way to bring community together.
“There’s this interactive element to storytelling. It’s alive. One of the biggest elements is that you have this shared light; you can see your audience, they can see you and it becomes this great reciprocity of storytelling,” said Froemel. “It reminds people that there are ways to engage with stories differently, and that they can not only hear the story but they have the opportunity to then retell the story. They’re part of this tradition of keeping the story going and passing it along.”
Storytelling has been a vital part of Froemel’s life for well over a decade, but his apprenticeship with Lepp broadened his knowledge of the art, mastery he himself passed along at storytelling camps during his apprenticeship.
An unexpected lesson of the program, however, was not of his own skill but the passions of his peers.
“When you apply for the apprenticeship, you’re kind of in your artistic bubble. Then you get into it, and you realize just how eclectic the idea of folklife is,” said Froemel. “It was really inspiring to see the support that existed for all of these different artistic mediums, some of them I was familiar with, some I was not. It was really just an inspiring environment to be in.”
This same discovery and inspiration is part of what Williams hopes the WV Folklife Program can bring to life for West Virginians of all backgrounds. Here in the Mountain State and across the country where similar projects have been founded, the program has proven to do just that: get people excited about and engaged with the creative practices of their families and communities.
Applications for the 2024–25 WV Folklife Apprenticeship program conclude Aug. 26 and will reopen in 2026. For more information, visit https://WVFolklife.org. Reach out to Williams at williams@wvhumanities.org with questions. Visit the WV Folklife Program Collection at WVFolklife.lib.wvu.edu.
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Morgantown, WV – West Virginia senior guard Javon Small scored a game-high 19 points while senior center Eduardo Andre put in a Mountaineer career-best 14 points and senior guard Tobi Okani recorded a double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Mountaineers (9-2) extended their winning streak to five with a 67-4 win over the Mercyhurst Lakers (6-9) Sunday afternoon.
Mercyhurst took the early lead, but West Virginia responded with a 7-0 run, ignited with a three from freshman guard Jonathan Powell, and forced Lakers head coach Gary Manchel to take a timeout.
Lakers senior forward Jeff Planutis buried a three out of the break to get back within two. The Mountaineers answered with another 7-0 run with Javon Small opening the run with a midrange jumper and Toby Okani finishing with a backdoor to cut to the rim to cap it off for the 16-7 lead at the 12:27 mark of the first half.
West Virginia struggled to pull away from a Mercyhurst program that jumped up to the Division I level over the summer and did not grab a double-digit lead until 5:50 left in the half after a jumper from senior guard Joseph Yesufu.
Eduardo Andre gave the Mountaineers their largest first half lead of 14, and the final field goal of the half, for his nine first half points with 3:32 remaining until halftime as the Mountaineers took a 35-22 lead into the break.
After West Virginia went up 16 to begin the second half, Mercyhurst dwindled the Mountaineers lead to nine with a 7-0 run, led by Aidan Reichert putting in the final five consecutive points.
West Virginia broke the game open with a 15-0 run midway through the second half with Toby Okani lead the way with six points as the Mountaineers took a 54-32 lead and coasted to a 67-46 victory.
West Virginia
Humanities Council’s traveling exhibition, ‘Born of Rebellion: West Virginia’s Statehood and the Civil War,’ on display in Bluefield
PRESS RELEASE:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Humanities Council’s flagship traveling exhibition, Born of Rebellion: West Virginia Statehood and the Civil War, is now on display at the Paine Gallery at the Bluefield Arts Center from now until February 3. Hours and information are available at www.barcwv.org.
This comprehensive, large-scale experience covers sectional tensions within Virginia preceding the Civil War, the violence and chaos of the war surrounding West Virginia’s formation and the difficult aftermath as the new state struggled to forge its destiny during Reconstruction. Born of Rebellion explores this tumultuous and complex era from a wide range of perspectives, including politicians, common soldiers, women and African Americans. Not simply a story of war and politics, Born of Rebellion conveys the complexities and pitfalls that accompanied West Virginia’s arduous journey to separation from Virginia.
“It has been such a pleasure working with Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation to get Born of Rebellion in Mercer County for the holidays,” said Council Program Officer Kyle Warmack. “The Paine Gallery is a perfect display space for the exhibit, and we hope its time here provokes discussion about this part of West Virginia’s experience during the war and our journey to statehood.”
For more information about Born of Rebellion, visit wvhumanities.org and click “Traveling Exhibits” under the Programs menu. For more about the Paine Gallery, its hours of operation and other visitor information, please contact the Bluefield Arts & Revitalization Corporation at (304) 589-0239.
The West Virginia Humanities Council, an independent nonpartisan nonprofit, is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council is supported by the NEH, the State of West Virginia and contributions from the private sector. The purposes of the West Virginia Humanities Council are educational, and its mission is to support a vigorous program in the humanities statewide in West Virginia.
Boulder, CO – No. 14 West Virginia took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter but shot 2-12 from the field and committed four turnovers in the final 10 minutes as the Colorado Buffaloes (10-2) went 9-11 from the floor and stormed back from a 16-point second half deficit to upset the Mountaineers (10-2) Saturday night 65-60.
West Virginia junior guard Jordan Harrsion led the Mountaineers with 18 points and five assists, but Frida Formann put in a game-high 22 points and forwards Lior Garzon and Jade Masogayo led the second half comeback to combine for 22 second half points.
West Virginia junior guard Syndey Shaw started the night with a three and a pair of steals in the backcourt by Harrison that led to layups gave the Mountaineers an early 7-6 advantage.
Frida Formann was off to a hot start, hitting her first three field goal attempts for seven of the nine Colorado points, including a three to give Colorado a 9-7 lead at the 4:30 mark of the first quarter.
The Mountaineers finished the first quarter with a 9-0 run with freshman forward Jordan Thomas leading the way with four points and a 16-9 WVU lead heading into the second quarter.
Jordan Harrsion opened the second quarter with a three to extend the lead to 10, but West Virginia went 3-9 and committed five turnovers while Colorado was 7-15 from the field and cut the deficit to three, 28-25, at the break.
Frida Forman led all scorers at the break with 15 points as Harrison scored a Mountaineer-high 12 points with two assists.
Jade Masogayo cut the WVU lead to one with a lay-in, but West Virginia responded with a 19-4 run, led by guard Kyah Watson putting in five of her eight points on the night for a 47-31 lead with 3:05 left in the third quarter.
Colorado began to build momentum heading into the fourth quarter, despite West Virginia leading by 11.
The Mountaineers went cold in the fourth quarter while the Buffaloes got hot. West Virginia missed its first four shots from the field while Colorado dwindled the lead to five before Harrison got the contested layup and ended a five-minute scoring drought.
The Buffaloes continued their momentum, while West Virginia struggled from the field and extending their run to 22-4 behind nine points from Garzon to build a seven-point lead with 36 seconds remaining in the game and held on for the 65-60 victory.
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