The museum welcomes back Dudenbostel and Jester for another gallery talk on June 2 at 3 p.m. The award-winning exhibition is on loan from the Museum of East Tennessee History operated by the East Tennessee Historical Society (www.eastTNhistory.org).
The exhibition is made possible through a grant from the Gene and Florence Monday Foundation and is sponsored locally by Cooke’s Food Store. The exhibit will be on view through June 30 with not yet seen photographs on exhibit beginning May 15. The gallery talk on June 2 at 3 p.m. is free to members and $5 for non-museum members. The talk will be followed by refreshments in the lobby.
In the exhibition, visitors meet Pastor James E. “Jimmy” Morrow who preaches at a church where they “take up the serpent”; legendary Cocke County moonshiner “Popcorn” Sutton; and farmer and cock fighter Steve Turner. Other images document the Mennonite communities where life plays out much as it did in the mid-1800s and places along Appalachian roadways such as tourist courts, ferries, filling stations, peanut stands and local grocery stores.
The exhibit explores the stereotypes people often have of Appalachia. “The photographs and field recordings offer rare access to people and places that many Appalachians have heard of but relatively few have chosen to visit or participate in,” noted Adam H. Alfrey, the exhibition’s curator from the Museum of East Tennessee History in Knoxville.
A catalog and CD of recordings featured in the exhibition is available for purchase at the museum store.
To enhance the exhibition the Museum Center is offering a series of education programs and events to accompany the exhibit.
June 2 — Stories of Vanishing Appalachia: Part 2: 3 p.m. Free for museum members, $5 for non-museum members. Join Dudenbostel and Jester for this fun and informative walk-through of the exhibit.
June 9 — Appalachian Wildwoods Ramble in Fletcher Park: 1 to 3 p.m. $5 for museum members, $8 for non-museum members. Doug Elliott, storyteller and naturalist from the mountains of North Carolina, will be the group’s guide as attendees roam the wilds of Fletcher Park in Cleveland. Meet in Fletcher Park (directions will be provided for those registering). Reservations and prepayment are required by June 6 by calling 339-5745.
June 9 — An Evening of Appalachian Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom with Doug Elliott: 7 p.m. Free of charge; location: Community Room, Cleveland Public Library. Elliott, nationally known storyteller and naturalist from the mountains of North Carolina, will perform a concert of amazing Appalachian tales, lively tunes, traditional lore, outrageous personal narratives and facts stranger than fiction. This evening of Appalachian lore is co-sponsored by the Cleveland Public Library and the Cleveland Storytelling Guild. Please note that this event will be held at the Community Room of the Cleveland Public Library. Thanks to a generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Denny Mobbs and Jordon Fabricating Inc., this event is free to the general public.
For more information, call 339-5745 or visit www.Museum Center.org.
