Sights & Sounds

A Family’s Drag Tradition in Bristol

Seventeen-year-old Anna Fleenor of Bristol first raced on a drag strip as part of a youth racing class. From the passenger seat, her father, Chris—a seasoned racer—offered tips to quell her nerves. But as soon as the light turned green, he gave Anna a command that she still hears in her head when it’s time to race: “Mash it.”

Sights & Sounds

Virginia Folklife Program Transcribes Oral Histories for Reedville Fishermen’s Museum

Our Virginia Folklife team recently presented transcribed oral histories to the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum.

Sights & Sounds

Daal, Kirtan & Chunni on the National Mall

On April 9, 2023, the National Mall transformed from a space of American nationalism and Western secularism into a celebration of Punjabi heritage and Sikh history with the 6th annual Sikh Freedom March.

Sights & Sounds

 A Tribute to Virginia Folk Hero “Uncle Wade” Ward

Beloved clawhammer banjoist “Uncle Wade” was born on Saddle Creek, just outside of Independence, Virginia, on October 15, 1892 and lived in Grayson County all his life.

Sights & Sounds

Bart Long Shares His Clydesdale Team With Bristol

Bart Long of Bristol, VA, has a hitch of Clydesdales that he regularly brings to community parades, including to the recent Memorial Day parade in Marion, VA.

Sights & Sounds

Linda Skeens’s ‘Blue Ribbon Kitchen’

This year, Linda Skeens of Russell County returned to the VA-KY Fair with a new book in tow: “Blue Ribbon Kitchen: Recipes and Tips from America’s Favorite County Fair Champion.”

Sights & Sounds

geonovah: Big Stone Rap

Hip-hop artist Geonoah Davis was born and raised in Big Stone Gap, and he is making it his mission to build a supportive community for artists like him—artists that do not fall into stereotypical Appalachian categories.

Black bear stands among overgrown vegetation and faces the camera head-on. In the background, a water control structure can be seen. Photo by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.Sights & Sounds

Trapping Black Bears in the Great Dismal Swamp

PhD Candidate Perri Meldon shares her research into the cultural and ecological histories of Virginia’s Great Dismal Swamp.

A young woman stands in the middle of the woodsSights & Sounds

Home Is the Sound of Rivers and Crooked Roads

Elsa Howell, who is learning the art of Appalachian ballad singing through our Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, reflects on the important role music plays in her culture and community.

A group of 4 men sit side by side on a low wall. They are all wearing blue shirts with a matching patchSights & Sounds

Raceway Ministries Continues Serving Race Fans

Founded in 1992, Bristol Raceway Ministries is a church-led effort to organize services for spectators at the Bristol Motor Speedway. “We get to experience every aspect of life here at the track,” says volunteer Bobby Branch.

Photo of a young man holding a banjo and looking away with a smileSights & Sounds

Forging Connections with Bristol’s Tyler Hughes

Old-time musician Tyler Hughes is now co-managing a new funding opportunity for traditional arts in and around Bristol. “People in the Appalachian region deserve to have the fullest life that they can achieve,” he says.

Sights & Sounds

A Legacy of Violin Making — Folklife Fieldnotes Episode 12

Richard Maxham is apprenticing under Lynchburg violin maker Daniel Smith, though the Maxham name has been intimately involved with violin making and performance for five generations.

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