Shepherd University’s Misty Mountains Teacher Institute brings Appalachian artists to the community

ISSUED: 6 July 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV - The West Virginia Humanities Council Summer Teacher Institute, "Voices from the Misty Mountains, Reclaiming Our Story for a New Appalachia," invites the community to enjoy free evening programs at Shepherd University by two Appalachian artists in July.

On Monday, July 18, at 7 p.m., West Virginian and writer Gretchen Moral Laskas will perform a book reading. The 2012 Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence at Shepherd University, Laskas' works deal with social justice issues and portray a vivid portrait of West Virginia's rich heritage and past. Her title "The Miner's Daughter" was the 2012 One Book One West Virginia selection.

On Wednesday, July 20, at 7 p.m., award-winning storyteller Adam Booth will share "Stories from the Front Porch."

Both events, which are free and open to the public, will be held at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium and be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

These cultural programs are part of the intensive Summer Teacher Institute at the Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities, funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council and the Shepherd University President's Fund. Institute participants, which include teachers and librarians from around the state, will learn the story of West Virginia and Appalachia, gaining an understanding that will enhance teaching the state's children. The 11-day Institute features a mix of lectures, cultural events, and field trips, including presentations by George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War Director Dr. James Broomall; 2006 West Virginia Professor of the Year and Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities Dr. Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt; and Appalachian scholar and musician Rachael Meads.

- 30 -