Telling Mountain Stories at the Mountain Heritage Center

Telling Mountain Stories
Folklife Series
at the
Mountain Heritage Center

Tuesday, December 5

Traditional Music Performance
Hominy Valley Boys
5:30 p.m.


Documentary Film Screening
Rank Strangers: The Story of Mrs. Hyatt's OpraHouse
6:00 p.m.

Photographic Exhibit
Ken Abbott

The "Telling Mountain Stories" fall folklife series will continue at the Center, with a screening of the documentary film "Rank Strangers: The Story of Mrs. Hyatt's OpraHouse," a performance by the Hominy Valley Boys, and a display of photographs by Ken Abbott.  Opening the free program at 5:30 p.m. will be the Hominy Valley Boys, a traditional music band composed of two sets of brothers who are featured on the "Rank Strangers" soundtrack – Cliff and Matt Wright of Haywood County and Ben and Mike Rathbone of Buncombe County.

The film, a creation of Rod Murphy and Scott B. Morgan, examines the entertaining and poignant connections that make up the typical American community gathering. Shot on location in Asheville, the production tells the story of a tradition of musical gatherings that began more than 50 years ago, and which continues to this day.

A selection of production images from "Rank Strangers" that were taken by visual artist Ken Abbott, a visiting instructor of photography at WCU, will be on display in the museum lobby through Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The museum is joining with Philip Coyle of WCU's ethnography laboratory, Tom Hatley, Sequoyah Distinguished Professor in Cherokee Studies, and the Office of the Provost in presenting the series.