Exhibit examines past, future of Appalachian culture

WVU Libraries is looking for submissions for an upcoming art exhibit.
“Appalachian Futures” aims to display Appalachian culture in new and unconventional ways, focusing on different aspects and strengths shared within the Mountain State and region. The display will go up in August  2019.
Sally Deskins, exhibits and programs coordinator, said the idea came from a committee of faculty. The display won’t be exclusive to visual mediums, but can include personal narrative, stories and projects.
The exhibit will encompass four  themes, one being the Growth of Diverse Ethnic Populations, looking at the creativity and forwardness of Indigenous Americans, Affrilachian (African Americans in Appalachia) and the LGBTQ+ community.
“[Queer Appalachia] is just a group of artists, an art collective, and they produce zines and magazines and then there are also artists that are part of it. They’re just expressing their perspective as both an Appalachian and a diverse person,” Deskins said.
Science Education and Industries is another aspect of the planned display. This theme will explore the land and natural resources and pride in where Appalachia came from, such as coal.
“We’ll be looking for projects that highlight work around these areas,”  Deskins said.
The Future of Appalachian Traditions will highlight the forward-thinking of the culture rather than the past, which is  commonly associated with Appalachia. Deskins said thinking about those stereotypes and putting them in a positive light helps with forward-thinking and seeing Appalachia traditions as a strength.
The more abstract of the concepts is Speculative Futures and Futurism — imagining what Appalachia might be like in the future.
“Maybe like comic books or visual art or rethinking the Mountaineer. Like anything creative and wild. Hopefully that will be a fun theme,” Deskins said.
There could even be  Fallout-themed work or paintings of the Mothman.
“Anything like that would be super cool,” Deskins said.
She said seeing and recognizing the breadth of culture is something she hopes people will take away from the exhibit. She hopes it shows the variety of perspectives within the region.
“Part of the reason that it’s really cool to have is because people come here for all sorts of reasons. So it’s a really good opportunity to share their work with folks who might not otherwise see it in a different setting. We have 4,000 people come through here daily,” she said.
Deskins also wants to make sure the exhibit can go on the road. She’s planning some traveling exhibits regionally, as well. The library is also looking for partners to help fund the art exhibits.
“I really hope to get some good, diverse submissions regionally from people I might not even know of or groups you might not know of,” she said.