In the mountains of Southwest Virginia, where music flows as naturally as mountain streams and tradition runs as deep as ancient roots, Debbie Grimm Yates has spent 34 years creating something magical—pottery that carries the rhythm of her homeland and the harmony of her heart. Her...
In the rolling hills of Southwest Virginia, where morning mist clings to ancient mountains and the rhythm of farm life still marks the seasons, Ed and Martha Biggar have spent decades transforming fire and sand into art. Their story is one of creative partnership—in life,...
As a child, Anna Mullins would sit beside her father in a darkened room, listening to the quiet click of the slide projector. One image at a time, glowing and still, would fill the wall. There were no filters or fast-forwards… just silence, shadow, and...
Sometimes life changes everything in a single moment. For Dorian Etter, that moment came during what should have been a peaceful hike through a Virginia tunnel. When she emerged into daylight, a tree literally crushed her, breaking her neck, her back, and shattering her teeth....
In a workshop in Galax, Virginia, the rhythmic pull of cane through wood sounds like a heartbeat. The scent of worn timber drifts through the air. Lights flicker softly, and a quiet tapping begins; the steady lull of not just a trade, but a tradition. Michael...
In a quiet shop behind his home in Chilhowie, Virginia, Randal Eller leans over a fiddle in progress. The light filters through sawdust in the air. The smell of applewood and beeswax fills the room. This is where music begins, not with a musician, but...
The first thing your eyes notice is the color. Greens and pinks rise to meet you, then blues, yellows, purples; a chorus of hues that dares you to look and keep looking. At first it’s the boldness. Then it’s the details. Every inch of space...
One crisp, clear morning in the deep woods of Southwest Virginia, Patty Younger walks in silence. She steps carefully over damp leaves and storm-tossed limbs, breathing in the scent of rain rising from the earth. Her fingers brush against a soft piece of oak, its...
Southwest Virginia is known for our talented Artists and Craftsman. By celebrating and championing this tradition, you can do more than just help your neighbors you can help to preserve and promote our way of life. [caption id="attachment_2243845" align="alignleft" width="150"] Kim Davis is the Executive Director...
ABINGDON, VA – Today, the ribbon was cut on the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace and the facility reopened to the world. Formerly known as Heartwood, the facility has a refreshed look and renewed focus on telling the culturally authentic story of Southwest Virginia...