by Gail Hairston

(March 14, 2014) ― The natural beauty of the Elkhorn City/Russell Fork region of Pike County, Ky., is undeniable. It is home to part of the Breaks Interstate Park, referred to by some as the 'Grand Canyon of the South.' And yet tourism, especially adventure tourism, is still a slowly developing factor in the local economy. Locals want to know why.

The Elkhorn City Heritage Council is trying to promote recreational and outdoor tourism in the area. University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University students and faculty have been asked to assist in those efforts by gauging public opinion.

March 20-23, a group of UK students will go door-to-door surveying residents of Elkhorn City to find out more about their visions of the community's economic future and community

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 11, 2014) — Eugene Richards, a photographer, writer and filmmaker known for capturing moments of political activism and social issues in his work, will give the final presentation in the 2013-14 Robert C. May Endowment Photography Lecture Series with a lecture at 4 p.m. Friday, March 14, in Worsham Theater at the University of Kentucky Student Center. In conjunction with the talk, an exhibition of Richards' work will be on display March 14 through April 27, in the Art Museum at UK. The lecture and exhibition are free and open to the

by Whitney Hale, Whitney Harder

(March 11, 2014) — University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections is illuminating the rich culture of Appalachia and challenging stereotypes of the region with its "Immigrants in the Coalfields" exhibit on display now in UK's Margaret I. King Building. The free exhibition will be open to the public 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 4.

Images, maps, documents and oral histories from UK Special Collections tell the story of Appalachia unheard to many, a mix of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities and a cultural mosaic illustrated in the coal camps of Eastern Kentucky.

Visitors to the exhibit first experience a national perspective of

by Mallory Powell

(March 6, 2014) -- Nearly 700 researchers, students, policymakers and community members will gather at the Lexington Convention Center March 27 to share research, mentor junior faculty, and enhance collaborations in clinical and translational science, with special focus on addressing health disparities in Appalachia. The 9th Annual Spring Conference and 4th Annual Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) Summit will be hosted by the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).

"This year’s theme will be health disparities, which fits well with CCTS efforts to boost research

by Whitney Harder, Whitney Hale

(March 3, 2014) — "Reel to Real: Special Collections at the Movies," the University of Kentucky Special Collections Library's film series, will continue with "Coal Miner's Daughter," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Worsham Theater in the UK Student Center. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"Coal Miner's Daughter," is based on the life of country singer and Kentucky native Loretta Lynn, who recorded

by Kathy Johnson, Gail Hairston

(Feb. 25, 2014) — Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker brought home the gold this past weekend, winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry.

Walker, an associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky as well as founder of the Affrilachian Poets, was recognized for his most recent book of poetry, "Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers."

“I am thrilled for Frank, whose scholarship is deserving of national recognition,” said Mark Lawrence Kornbluh, dean of UK’s College of Arts

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 18, 2014) — Three University of Kentucky authors will present recent books about mountaintop removal mining, and the treasured landscapes and Appalachian communities that lie in its midst, at a book talk and signing Thursday, Feb. 27.  

Erik Reece, of the Department of English, and Jim Krupa, of the Department of Biology, will discuss their book, "The Embattled Wilderness: The Natural and Human History of Robinson Forest and the Fight for its Future" (University of Georgia Press, 2013). Shannon Elizabeth Bell, of the Department of Sociology, will discuss her book, "

by Keith Hautala

(Jan. 17, 2014) — Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

Walker, founder of the Affrilachian Poets and an associate professor of English at the University of Kentucky, is being recognized for his most recent book of poetry, "Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers."

The book, revolving around the civil rights leader's 1963 murder in Mississippi, was published last year, the 50th anniversary of the killing. Walker crafted the poems in the voices of individuals central to the event: Evers' widow, Myrlie

by Mallory Powell

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 5, 2013) – David Gross watched his mother care for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease.  He also saw the toll the disease took, not just on his grandmother, but on his mother who served as her caregiver. This inspired him to initiate a project in Morehead to support an assessment of Alzheimer Disease caregivers in rural Kentucky.

The project, which received a Seed Grant from the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), is just one example of how the CCTS is achieving its commitment to community-engaged research through a community mini-grant program for health outreach programs in Appalachia.  

The Seed Grant program, now in its second year, supports projects that contribute to the reduction of health disparities in rural and Appalachian communities by

by Nathan Owen

(Dec. 2, 2013) —  Youth volunteer programs in the "War on Poverty" will be examined at a panel discussion sponsored by the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center.

The panel will reflect critically on 50 years of the War on Poverty and the youth volunteer programs in Appalachia funded through those policies. The discussion will take place at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Center Theater in the UK Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The panelists will provide short opening presentations, to be followed by an open discussion. Historians and representatives of federal volunteer programs will discuss a half-century of investments in social change in Appalachia through youth service programs from the Appalachian

by Andrea Richard, Whitney Hale

(Nov. 18, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Special Collections Library will show the second film in its movie series “Reel to Real” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Worsham Theater. The film series explores celebrated movies through a historically accurate perspective based on primary source materials found in Special Collections. The screening is free and open to the public.

"In Country," featuring Bruce Willis, is about a Vietnam War veteran living in rural Kentucky, and his

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 14, 2013) — Americana, old-time music, the banjo and vivid stories take the spotlight at the University of Kentucky for the next two performances in the “Appalachia in the Bluegrass” concert series. On Friday, Nov. 15, Skipjack, an Americana and old-time band with Celtic roots, will perform. The next Friday, Nov. 22, Chicago-native Stephen Wade, known for his work with the banjo and his recent book, "The Beautiful Music All Around Us," will appear. Both free public concerts will take place at noon at the Niles Gallery, located in the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center.

From Celtic to Americana Old-Time Music

by Whitney Hale

(Nov. 6, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Special Collections will celebrate the career of Appalachia scholar and historian Ron D. Eller. The donation ceremony of the Ron Eller Papers will include a talk by historian Chad Montrie on Nov. 8.

The public is invited to a formal donation of Eller's papers at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at the Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center, located in 104 Margaret I. King Building. The program will include Montrie's talk, "

by Nathan Owen

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2013) — The University of Kentucky’s Appalachian Center, in collaboration with the Appalachian Media Institute, will provide a glimpse into Appalachia through a showcase of young filmmakers’ documentaries.

The event takes place at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, in Room 106 of the Whitehall Classroom Building. Representatives from AMI’s Summer Documentary Institute will screen three self-produced documentaries, each around 10 minutes long.

by Whitney Hale

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI) celebrates three years of collaborations with educational institutions in China at a free public concert on Nov. 7.

The "3rd Anniversary Celebration Concert: Featuring the Shanghai University School of Music" will spotlight string music, the pipa, martial arts and other musical talents from Shanghai. The concert will begin 7 p.m. Thursday, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall.

"UKCI is pleased to have the students and faculty from the College of Music of Shanghai University to join us in

By Victoria Dekle

90 miles to the north of Lexington on the banks of the Ohio River is the “The Queen City.” The nickname itself could probably be the topic of a panel discussion when the 37th annual meeting of the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) rolls into town in early November. There will be presentations, roundtables and workshops about anything and everything relating to critical studies of gender, from the ways gender is taught, experienced, and promoted in society including higher education.

Most notably, GWS chair Karen Tice will be headlined in an innovative feature of this year’s conference, the Authors Meet Critics roundtable. It is an event in which authors of recently published books hear and respond to comments from experts in

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2013) — Kentuckians will have a chance to experience through music, crafts and cuisine the Appalachian culture that makes the region unique. The Pickin’ Time Mountain Music and Harvest Festival will offer all of those things Nov. 2 at the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability in Jackson. RCARS is part of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

“We have carefully planned and orchestrated this festival to be a celebration of Appalachian culture expressed through the talents of this region’s most valuable resource — its people,” said David Ditsch, RCARS director. “We invite all Kentuckians to come out and experience a taste of the mountains with us through musicians’ lyrics, crafters’

by Whitney Hale, Mack McCormick

(Oct. 23, 2013) — University Press of Kentucky (UPK) author Helen Matthews Lewis has been named the recipient of the 2012 Appalachian Writers Association’s Book of the Year Award for Nonfiction for her book "Helen Matthews Lewis: Living Social Justice in Appalachia."

The Appalachian Writers Association (AWA) mission is to promote and recognize writing about the Appalachian region which includes those eastern mountains and foothills ranging from Alabama to Maine. The AWA aims to promote writers living in or having lived in the Appalachian region and those who have significant

by Nathan Owen



(Oct. 14, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Appalachian Center this month will host musician, scholar and activist Sue Massek as an artist in residence. 

During her residency, Oct. 23-25, Massek will visit with classes on campus, provide two free public performances in Lexington, and travel to Eastern Kentucky to perform her show “Precious Memories” at schools in Floyd and Pike Counties.

The one-woman musical traces the life of Sarah Ogan Gunning, an unsung hero of American folk music history. It was written by Si Kahn during his residency through the Appalachian Center in October 2012, using materials in UK’s Special Collections,

“It is wonderful that Sue Massek will be able to perform the work at the University of Kentucky during her residency this year," said Ann Kingsolver, director of the UK

by Keith Hautala

A one-hour documentary exploring the history of one of Lexington's most diverse neighborhoods will have a special advance screening at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the University of Kentucky's William T. Young Library auditorium.

"Davis Bottom: Rare History, Valuable Lives" reveals the fascinating history of a working-class neighborhood established in Lexington after the Civil War. Davis Bottom is one of about a dozen ethnic enclaves settled primarily by African-American families who migrated to Lexington from the 1860s to the 1890s in search of jobs, security and opportunity. 

The documentary is part of the Kentucky Archaeology and Heritage Series, produced by Voyageur Media Group, Inc. for the Kentucky Archaeological Survey and the Kentucky Heritage Council. The series is distributed by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) to