The West Virginia University Humanities Center is proud to present a panel discussion, titled “Listening to and Learning from WV Artists: Taking on Community-Engaged, Collaborative Research in The Humanities” on March 28 from 4-6 p.m. in the Milano Room, Downtown Library.
The panelists include Erin
Brock Carlson, assistant professor of English; Kandi Workman, programming
manager for Tamarack Foundation for the Arts; Olivia Wertz, Ph.D. candidate in
Literature, English; Jonna Leavitt, M.A. student in Professional Writing and
Editing, English. The team members were 2023-2024 Humanities Center Collaborative
Grant awardees.
The arts are an integral aspect of life in Appalachia, as
artisans skilled in mediums from quilting to painting have documented the
stories of their communities throughout the region’s history; however, artists
in rural communities in West Virginia face challenges that affect their
capacity to create and share their art. These challenges are felt especially
deeply by artists who are members of marginalized communities such as Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled
residents, and people experiencing poverty, addiction, or recovery. Artists
from underrepresented backgrounds are often left out of mainstream narratives
about the arts, resulting in a lower likelihood that they would benefit from
programming designed to support creative economies. Artists from marginalized
backgrounds living in already-underserved areas–including rural towns in West
Virginia–are especially prone to their needs being overlooked and their stories
being ignored.
The panel shares findings form an ongoing community-engaged
research collaboration between Tamarack Foundation for the Arts and researchers
in the Department of English. Over the course of two years, the team has held
13 listening sessions and three focus groups incorporating methods including
collage making and participatory mapping. Panelists will highlight the
important role that artists and creatives play in communities across West Virginia
while sharing what they have learned about how artists, especially those from
marginalized backgrounds, build coalitions through their art and community
making.
Panelists will also reflect on their experiences designing and facilitating a community-engaged research project that spans across institutions, communities, and years, offering insight into the value of collaborative research in the humanities.