![]() At Appalshop, an Appalachian cultural archive and media center in downtown Whitesburg, a crew works to recover soiled materials before they deteriorate. The Hindman Settlement School and the Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company are digging out, working to salvage as much as possible. There’s also an impact on the cultural centers within the mountains. The tight-knit Kentucky towns of Jackson, Neon, Hindman, Whitesburg and Hazard, among more rural other places, were hit hard. Entire communities were slammed in the storm. This was deemed a “once in a millenia” storm: water over rooftops, refrigerators caught up in treetops, homes carried downriver and significant loss of life.Īn environmental tragedy immediately became a human tragedy. Heavy rains funnel into these waterways – this time more than ever before. The lower land frequently has a creek or river running through it. In the charming mountain town of Whitesburg, Ky., near the Virginia border, the North Fork Kentucky River rose more than 20′.įor those unfamiliar with the terrain of eastern Kentucky, there are lower lying, narrow bands of land between the rocky, rugged knobs and mountains. The floodwater climbed higher than any time on record in some places. Once the waters receded the full impact and devastation became apparent. The School of Luthiery in downtown Hindman after the floodwaters receded. He relayed the overwhelming mess he saw all around him. He was at a local lutherie shop on the main street in Hindman, Ky., at the time, scraping the thick mud off anything salvageable in the bench room. I followed up with a text to Ratliff to wish him well. That was before I was aware of the severe flooding to hit communities in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia. Late last week I reached out to Eastern Kentucky chairmaker Terry Ratliff (he’s among those featured in the upcoming book) about a teaching opportunity. I’m working toward having the manuscript to Lost Art Press this fall. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel at this point. I’m currently editing, adding the photography and working through the chair builds.Īs a first-time author I’ve come to recognize two things: 1) I enjoy the process of writing a book and 2) I’m slow at it. The search is complete (thank you to those who sent me names and leads after my previous blog posts about the project ), the interviews and visits have all happened and the narrative is written. The early title leader for my upcoming book about Appalachian chairmakers was “Backwoods Chairs,” but I’m now leaning toward “Upwards into the Mountains.” The decision needs to happen soon because my book is nearing the final stages. Troublesome Creek hardshell case included.The Whitesburg, Ky., Appalshop building (center) following the late July 2022 floods.Ĭredit: Appalshop staff via Smithsonian Magazine MOP logo faceplate inlay and green abalone side dots. Select Appalachian Red Spruce with BWB top purfling. And of these many success stories, an especially talented, select group have gone on to become luthiers at Troublesome Creek. Since the program began in 2018, we have instructed hundreds of individuals, offering them new focus and healing. Established under a generous grant from ArtPlace America, the COR initiative brought in people suffering from substance abuse disorders in an effort to enhance their recovery efforts by immersion in Blacksmithing, Pottery, Luthiery and more. The Culture of Recovery program was created in order to host people in recovery at the studios of the Appalachian Artisan Center. The people we train, both from and the local labor pool, make some of the best guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers you’ll ever play! We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, with our own . ![]() Troublesome Creek is like no other stringed instrument manufacturer in the world.
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