Our very first featured artist is Addison Williams Fine Art! The beauty and creativity in his work speaks for itself. Here is a short bio from Addison explaining his background and how you can support his work!

"I was born and raised in Westerville, Ohio. At age 15, I started a clothing company with my brother. We drew inspiration from the skateboarding and snowboarding culture we were heavily involved in. It was our first taste of combining art and culture to create fashionable goods that would be appreciated by a wide audience.

In the summer of 2010, my wife and I visited Jenkins, Kentucky for the first time. We moved four months later. In 2012, after being inspired by the underrated beauty of my new home in the Appalachian Mountains, I ventured into photography.

My earliest work focused on the aesthetics of rustic buildings, vehicles, and equipment in the mountains of Southeast Kentucky and Southwest Virginia. Since then, I’ve shot a wide range of subjects and styles, from the details of macro photography to the sweeping landscapes of travel photography and many things in between. I aim to create captivating pieces — turning overlooked elements and fleeting moments of beauty into enduring art.

Since 2014, my artwork has been displayed in various establishments throughout the region. My most recognizable pieces are my large, dynamic metal prints.

In 2019, I started serving as chairman for EpiCentre Arts in Whitesburg and became a member of Art Inc. in Lexington. In 2020, I was juried into the Kentucky Crafted program. That year I also completed my first public art installation in the form of a “sidewalk gallery” at Appalshop in Whitesburg. I’ve since created two more public installations — a landscape photomural and a digital wayfinding mural in Pound, VA.

I was elected to serve as president of EpiCentre Arts when it became a non-profit organization in 2021. I was juried into the Kentucky Artisan Guild and Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea in 2022. Later that year, I worked with other local artists to open the doors of a new collective space, home to EpiCentre Arts Gallery, Art By Lacy Hale Studio, Sisyphus Records, and Addison Williams Gallery.

In 2024, I’m excited to bring back a full line of clothing, inspired by arts and culture. Some samples have already been produced and more will be revealed soon!

You can follow or contact me anytime on instagram: addison_williams; facebook: Addison Williams Fine Art; or my website: AddisonWilliams.com.

Come see my work in person at my gallery: 178 Main St., Suite 1, in Whitesburg. I look forward to hearing from you!"

Do yourself a favor and check out his website! Addison, we are proud to have you and your talents as part of our community.

Our next featured artist is Bill Caudill. Bill offers an impressive range of art from paintings to handcrafting instruments. Here is a message from Bill describing his background and love for the arts.

"In case you don't know me, I was born in 1954 and have lived in Letcher County all my life. I taught school for 34 years. I have been retired since 2010, which has allowed me to devote some time to my passion for art.

I am a devout Christian, with God and family being the most important things in my life. I devote as much time as I can to my Church and my community.

Other than visual art, I enjoy writing poetry, songs, and playing music, which has been devoted almost entirely to inspiring faith in Jesus Christ.

My paintings are mostly centered around community and family. I am also very proud of my cultural heritage and hope to pass this on to future generations.

My philosophy and goal in life is to, first and foremost, exhibit the Spirit and Nature of Christ to all those I encounter. To accomplish this, I try to do the best I can to be good to and show love and compassion to all people."

Thank you, Bill, for sharing your talents! To check out Bill's work or connect with him please visit his Facebook group "Art by Bill Caudill."

This Monday's spotlight is singer/songwriter Cory Michael Harris from right here in Whitesburg!

Cory has been active in the region as an artist for 10+ years and has been on stages across KY, TN, VA, & OH. He's been fortunate enough to share stages with the likes of Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Sturgill Simpson, The Steel Woods, 49 Winchester, Chris Knight, & Corey Smith, to name a few!

Cory recorded and released his 8 Track Debut Album, "OFF OF 15" here in Letcher County at Fat Baby Studios with Kenny & Hayden Miles, Brothers and Letcher County Natives themselves, of the international touring band, Wayne Graham. Cory says, "It was very important to me to record "Off Of 15" at home with Kenny and Hayden. Keeping a sense of Eastern KY in my record with the stories I'm telling that all took place here in the mountains." With Tracks like "Soundtrack", "RT 7", and "Coming Home" all telling stories of growing up and living in Letcher County that anyone who grew up in Small Town America can relate to.

In July 2023, Cory was signed to the roster of SixOneFive Agency based out of Nashville, TN. Owner, Thomas Cole, added Cory to the growing list of talented artists and singer/songwriters from all over the country. SixOneFive Agency is a Nashville based Artist Management/Development and Booking Agency and they are looking to have a big year in 2024!

In 2023, Cory released new singles recorded and produced at Beaird Music in Nashville, TN. "Those Were The Days", released in March 2023, reflects on how things used to be and how most of the time, we don't realize how good we've got it until those days are behind us. On June 14th, Cory released his second single of 2023, "Bourbon With My Beer"! Cory, being from KY, is a fan of all things Bourbon! "Bourbon With My Beer" was released on National Bourbon Day. Cory's Third release of 2023, “Somebody's Nothing”, came August 17th, 2023, and is the story of love faded away.

Keep an eye out for a lot of exciting new things coming for Cory in 2024. From New Music to New States to tell his stories, to the addition of new members and new life to his band Black Bottom Road, 2024 is set to have big things in store!

Our next artistic spotlight shines on the Letcher County Culture Hub and their efforts to grow culture and economy to a place where everyone belongs.

Their story began when Appalshop artists and organizers collaborated with county residents to create new theater, film, music, and radio pieces about the search for a sustainable future. As residents shared stories, they recognized how many values and dreams they shared—across generational, geographical, political, religious, and other divides—and began building a cooperative network they soon named the Letcher County Culture Hub.

The Letcher County Culture Hub is a growing network of community-led organizations in Letcher County, who work together to build a culture and economy where we own what we make. The Culture Hub's twenty-plus current partners include community centers, local businesses and development associations, artist and artisan organizations, volunteer fire departments, public and educational organizations, and nonprofit corporations in the fields of agriculture, tech, media, housing, and recreation. Initiated by community organizers at Appalshop, Culture Hub partners have worked together to start businesses, revive cultural events, influence public policy and bring more and more citizens of Letcher County into the process of imagining and building our future together.

If you think your Letcher County organization should become a member of the Letcher County Culture Hub, visit letcherculture.org to submit your request! You will also find more information on what they’re doing and their partner directory.

Today spotlight is a couple talented musicians named The Mountain Laurels.

This folk duo is made up of Tagan Cox, a Letcher County resident and Lindsey Branson from right up the road in Viper. Tagan and Lindsey shared taste in music, formed while working at the Appalachian Arts Alliance where Lindsey serves as the Education Director and Tagan is the Dance Instructor.

Lindsey taught herself to play the guitar at the age of 16 and as she got older that led her to the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music. She studied there for 3 years and learned about the history of Bluegrass and Traditional music, recording technology, the joy of playing music with other people, and learned how to play the Mandolin by the amazing Bobby Osborne.

After her time at KSBTM, she went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business and Minor in Entertainment Technology at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

She is now the Director of Education with the Appalachian Arts Alliance. Lindsey is in charge of all educational classes and programming. She also gets to teach her passion of music in her community as a guitar, mandolin, and Kindermusik instructor.

Lindsey recently joined with the Louisville Orchestra to compose original music, blending classical and bluegrass styles!

Tagan has been performing in community theatre and singing since the age of 10. This love of performance led her to pursue a BFA in Performing Arts at Eastern Kentucky University. During her time at EKU she picked up the mandolin and began studying folk and traditional music as well as classical.

After graduation Tagan worked throughout central KY performing in plays and musicals. She has been seen at Pioneer Playhouse, Studio Players, West T Hill and many more. She has also performed in Las Vegas and Europe She also served as the executive director of the community theatre Ragged Edge in Harrodsburg KY-her hometown.

Tagan and her family moved to Letcher County 8 years ago when her husband began working for Lilley Cornett Woods. She found the Appalachian Arts Alliance and became their dance and children theatre instructor!

Tagan and Lindsey met through working together at the AAA and after realizing they shared a similar taste in musical formed the due the Mountains Laurels. They’ve only been together for a year but have already played all over the state!

We are excited to see what these gals do and hope you can catch them February 9th at the Appalachian Center for the Arts singing some Taylor Swift: Mountain Girl Version. Give their Facebook page a follow at Mountain Laurels music

Jeff Chapman-Crane is a Southern Appalachian artist who lifts up the truth and integrity of the mountain experience with realistic images of people and places. He works in water-based media (watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera) and has been painting for almost 50 years since being challenged and inspired by his art teacher at Ketron High School, the late Don Hilton. Following the tenets of the American Society of Classical Realism, Jeff’s work encompasses the highest principles of traditional representational art – fine drawing, balanced design, harmonious color and skillful craftsmanship. While not in the stylized realism of American Regionalism, his work shares a strong identification with a particular region – conveying geographic features of the land and unique human, cultural and social characteristics.

Among the artists who have greatly influenced Chapman-Crane’s work are Rembrandt for the sheer power of composition, mastery of brushstrokes, and the profound depth of human understanding revealed in his portraits; Vermeer in his use of light and portrayals of everyday, domestic life; the French Impressionists for their revelation of the color of light; and Edward Hopper’s ability to stop time and capture a moment. Jeff gives much credit to Vincent Van Gogh, his favorite artist, whose emotional intensity and absolute devotion to his work move and inspire him. His realistic work follows well-established traditions in American art, in the vein of Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and Andrew Wyeth for their portrayals of ordinary life. Social commentary photographers Dorothy Lange, Ken Murray of Tennessee, and “Picture Man” Mullins of Jenkins, Kentucky have also influenced the content of Jeff’s work.

His work has been featured in American Artist Magazine, and he is a four-time finalist in the Artists Magazine’s annual portrait competition. He was the illustrator for the children’s book, “Ragsale”, which won Best in Show at the 1995 New England Bookfair. Jeff’s work has been represented by the Phyllis J. Weston Art Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio and by the J.N. Bartfield Gallery in New York City.

A message from Jeff:

"I am an Appalachian artist. The work I do is rooted in the experience of being Appalachian. That experience, I believe, has been misunderstood by nearly every-one outside the region and by far too many within it. Certainly, it has been misrepresented by the popular media.

Characterizations like those found in The Beverly Hillbillies, Snuffy Smith, Lil' Abner, and Hee Haw form the predominant image of life in Appalachia. Such a portrayal is, at best, a trivialization of a rich, diverse, and valuable indigenous culture. At worst it is demeaning, cruel, and damaging.

My art addresses this situation. By presenting a more genuine portrayal of life in Appalachia, one that reflects my own experiences, I seek to inject more truth into the images that influence public perceptions. Mountain life is not a situation comedy featuring lazy, dull-witted barbarians blundering through life in modern times, nor is it the quaint, romantic ideal of the more sentimental imagery. It is, however, a unique expression of the rich diversity found in human culture, and as such, it has much of value to offer. This is what my art is about; this is its content.

My chosen form is realism, an approach that leads to greater clarity of statement. Such clarity is important to me; I want what I know, what I love, and what I believe to be understood. I think it is also important to the people of Appalachia, because as a people we have not been understood; even the knowledge of ourselves and our own culture has diminished over time.

Subsequently, the visibility I seek for my work is among my own people as well as the broader population. By producing art that portrays the people of Appalachia with dignity and their land with respect, I seek to contribute to a better understanding of life here and to help bring about positive change to the region."

Today, Jeff lives in Eolia, Kentucky and operates The Valley of the Winds Art Gallery with his wife, Sharman Chapman-Crane. Sharman is also an artist and creates heirloom art with family memorabilia. “Come an’ set a spell” at the Valley of the Winds Art Gallery, 2356 Hwy. 806, Eolia, Ky 40826. 606-633-8652. Find us at https://www.jeffchapmancrane.com/, jeffsharmanchapmancrane@aol.com , or on face book at Jeff Chapman-Crane Artist

This morning's spotlight features The Pure and Simple Band.

The Pure and Simple Band was formed from a love of familiar music. Mike Wright (vocals/guitar) mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd in a chance encounter with Travis Fields (vocals/guitar) when he rented a tux from Mike’s business. A friendship formed and began inspiring both gentlemen to start a band. The two recruited Cory Branham (drums) and Robert Barnett (vocals/bass) to complete the outfit. Cory and Robert brought in many influences to the band. Cory and Bob added many songs to the band’s repertoire along with their favorite songs from the 60’s through the 90’s rock and roll. In the last two years, Mike’s son, Jaden Wright joined the band to form a Skynyrd-like 3 guitar attack.

Not too hard to find these guys performing! Keep an eye out on their Facebook Page Pure and Simple Band for info on when you can catch a show in 2024!

This morning we'd like to feature local artist Peggy Blair. Peggy has loved art from a young age but has only recently discovered her talent for painting. In our opinion, it truly doesn't show. Her work is stunning, and we'd love for you to learn a little more about her!

"My name is Peggy Lynn (Caudill) Blair. I was born in Knott County, Ky; on Hale’s Branch in a log cabin, which is still standing today. My parents moved to Letcher County when I was a young girl.

I graduated from Letcher High School in 1969 and went on to take classes at Hazard Community College and Southeast Community College and following that, I worked and retired from Human Resources after 29 years.

My love for art started early in first grade under Nola Back, who was also an art teacher. In 2018 retired art teacher Richard Smith offered a weekly art class at the Rt. 7 Artisan Center. My sister-in-law Joanne Adams and I decided to go. My steps were slow at first but each week I learned something new. My confidence grew and I began to try different types of landscapes. Then I began to paint landscapes of our community, Doty Church, Doty School, Carl Hampton’s Store, Henry Back Homestead, Grant Blair Homestead, Alva Caudill Homestead, Watson Caudill Homestead and Bryant Homestead. I have now painted 5 commissioned paintings for various individuals and have sold prints of some of my paintings.

I entered my paintings in various art shows and to my surprise, won blue ribbons. I still consider myself an amateur artist but have got lots of positive feedback from various sources. Although I will never become a famous artist, it has become a rewarding hobby which I enjoy greatly."

You can support Peggy by keeping up with her Facebook page Peggy Lynn Blair or visit the Highway 7 Community Outreach located at the old Doty School, where she currently has some of her artwork on display.

Today we spotlight Whitesburg native artist Richard Kirk Banks. His talents include a broad range of beautiful and unique artwork.

Richard Kirk Banks is a multi-disciplinary studio artist residing in Dry Fork and working as a master ceramicist in Hindman, KY at the Appalachian Artisan Center. Banks is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Both degrees were attained with an emphasis in fine/studio art.

The artist practices in three media: ceramic arts, printmaking, and painting. Work from each display characteristic saturated color, simplicity, and playful nature. Ceramic work is generally functional, wheel made pieces.

Banks offers instruction weekly in all three areas of his work so be on the lookout for one of his classes! He has demonstrated at the City of Whitesburg / Letcher County Farmers' Market, Highway 7 Community Outreach, and more! You can follow the Appalachian Artisan Center on Facebook to find some of his workshops or visit his personal page Richard Kirk Banks to find more opportunities to learn from him or see his work!

Today's feature is so unique and fun! This morning, we shine a spotlight on Tyler Watts the "Post-It Picasso." Many locals have seen and loved the brightness and joy Tyler's work brings to the area and we'd like to share a little more about him! Here is a message from the Post-It king himself.

"My name is Tyler Watts and I am a Math Teacher at Letcher Elementary and Middle School. I developed a love for art during my early years of teaching, as I was always surrounded by opportunities to be creative in the primary classroom setting. I discovered a unique way to use the medium, Post-it Notes to create window murals, and the pixelated style of art quickly evolved into other mediums, such as bottle caps, beads, and other unique items that normally would not be associated with creating art.

In 2016, I made one of my first murals on the windows of the Harry M. Caudill Library in Whitesburg, Kentucky. It wasn’t that big, or spectacular, but the mural of the Grinch was featured on CBS This Morning and Good Morning America. One of the comments on Facebook referred to me as the “Post-it Picasso”, so that is where the name came from. I started using it as a hashtag on some of my work going forward.

Since 2016 I began making murals at a rate of about three or four murals per year. That does not sound like much, but some of these can take a couple of weeks to make. The design process is lengthy as well. I do enjoy the process. Especially when I get my students involved and tie the art into the math curriculum with area, perimeter, estimation, and other aspects of Math, depending on what grade level I am working with.

In 2019 I was named a Food City Hometown Hero. The mural making was beginning to branch off into other mediums at this point. I began traveling all over the state around this time. I have visited the Capitol in Frankfort creating murals in the annex tunnel there, as well as several different elementary and highschools between Whitesburg and Bowling Green. One of the more unique jobs I was blessed to attempt was for an opening of a bakery in Cynthiana, Kentucky. The bakery is owned by the wife of Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead series. As a big fan of the show, I was excited about this opportunity.

The farthest I have traveled to create a mural was to Bentonville, Arkansas in 2022. This was for the Wal-Mart International Sales Team at the Wal-Mart Headquarters. I was there for around a week and it was an amazing experience. It was a fun design, with many challenges along the way. But, it was an amazing adventure and opened some doors for future projects. That trip was probably the most rewarding experience throughout this journey. I met some amazing people.

Most of my larger murals can now be found at the June Buchanan School in Pippa Passes, Kentucky. I try to get there once or twice per year. I enjoy staying busy and welcoming new challenges with my artwork. I have also been blessed to publish two children’s books that can be found on Amazon: Max and the Shoestring Dragon and Max and the Great Golf Challenge. I would not be able to do any of this without the help of the 3M Plant located in Cynthiana, Kentucky. I am also very thankful that God has blessed me with this ability to put something bright and positive out there for others to enjoy. If you would like to check out some of my artwork, follow me on Instagram @postit_picasso or on Facebook at Tyler Watts Post-it Picasso."

Thomas (Tom) Biggs of TRB Photography is a nature and concert photographer from Letcher County where he has lived for the last 30 years. We are no stranger to Tom's work. We are very grateful that he captures beautiful shots of our county, and we share them on our page regularly, so we thought this time we'd showcase one of his concert photos! Here is a little background from Tom:

"I am Tom or Thomas R Biggs of TRB Photography. Very few call me Thomas mainly my mom or wife and if that happens, boy have I messed up!

I moved to southeast Kentucky with my parents and 3 younger brothers in the summer of 1987. Started working in Isom at Ted’s Place in early 1988 if I recall right, then transferred out to the Stop and Shop at Deane, KY. After those 2 jobs, in the fall of 1998 I started working for Enterprise Mining at the Roxana Prep Plant.

Worked there for around 17 years and during my time at Enterprise I bought my first decent digital camera a Sony F717 point and shoot. I had photographed some flowers growing in our yard, and with some encouragement from my wife who is also my biggest fan I entered those shots in a local contest (Mountain Heritage) and won first place for one of the images. From that moment forward I was hooked! Just ask my wife.

The rest as they say is history!

Over the years my nature images have won numerous awards that include, back-to-back Best of Shows 05,06 at the Festival of the Mountain Masters, 6 Editors Picks at Nature Photographers Online Magazine (the internet’s foremost Nature Photography site) and been featured in a national juried show in Richmond VA. Many blue ribbons from the Mountain Heritage Festival photo contests (a contest which I’m proud to now judge). I’ve had many images published both locally (The Mountain Eagle) and nationally. I won the Arts for the Parks National Heritage Award. I am a past member of the Kentucky Guild of Artist and Craftsmen (juried in) the state of Kentucky’s largest and oldest community of artist and craftsmen.

The concert photography started here in Whitesburg at Summit City Lounge in 2013. What a ride it’s been since then! Thousands of miles, thousands of pictures and hundreds if not thousands of bands covered for various media outlets (Music Life Magazine, Metal Nexus and Capture Kentucky and many others) along with the Mountain Eagle. Summit City even hosted my first Artist Exhibit which featured both my nature and concert images.

If you see me out and about with a camera, be sure to stop and say Hi!!

You can support TRB Photography by liking and following their Facebook page: TRB Photography and Instagram page: @trb_photography_kentucky

Today we recognize a beloved local artist, Lacy Hale. Most of us know Lacy but if you don't, we guarantee you've seen and admired her work at some point in time. Lacy Hale was born in southeastern Kentucky. At the age of five she knew that she wanted to be an artist. At 18, she attended Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, NY. At 20, she returned to southeastern Kentucky to pursue her professional artistic career. Hale has exhibited widely throughout Kentucky, Virginia, and New York.

Hale’s work was included in a traveling Smithsonian exhibit in 2012. In 2018 Lacy received the Eastern Kentucky Artist Impact Award. She was a 2017 Special Grant recipient from Great Meadows Foundation, a 2018 nominee for the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painting Award, a 2016 Tanne Foundation Award recipient, a 2015 Nominee for the Joan Mitchell Foundation Emerging Artist Award, and a 2015 and 2020 recipient of the Kentucky Foundation for Women’s Artist Enrichment Grant. She was awarded Appalachian Artist of the Year in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 she was a Johnson Fellowship nominee, and she is a 2024 United States Artist fellowship nominee. Her murals can be found all over the state of Kentucky and Virginia. She is the creator of the No Hate in My Holler slogan and design.

Lacy is co-founder of EpiCentre Arts, a 2016 Rauschenberg Foundation Seed Grant recipient, based in Whitesburg, Kentucky. She served two years on the board of the Kentucky Arts Council. Her work has been mentioned in Time Magazine by Kentucky author Silas House. Her artwork resides in the collections of Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Ishmael Butler and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, among many others.

Join us in supporting Lacy by following her Facebook and Instagram pages:

Art by Lacy Hale & @artbylacyhale

You can also view her work and shop her merchandise at lacyhale.com

Today we are pleased to feature a great group of talented people called The Roadhouse Band.

The Roadhouse Band is a rock band originating from Whitesburg KY. The band brings youthful energy to bring back the Southern Rock feel to their new, but vintage sound. The band was founded by two high school best friends. The first being Jaden Wright, inspired by classic bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet. The second being Dalton Moore, inspired by country icons like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. After graduating from high school in 2022 the two immediately got to work on their vision of a band with youth energy reviving a new and improved version of the classic rock sound they grew up with. The band is now a five-piece group consisting of members Jaden Wright, Dalton Moore, Benjamin Banks, Drake Brock, and Travis Fields. They now focus on writing original songs showcasing the diversity of each member and how they bring it together to form, as they call it, “The Stampede of Rock N’ Roll.”

The Roadhouse Band formed in 2022, and since then has played at several venues across Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. In the short amount of time the group has been together they have accomplished much success in the surrounding music scene. The band took 1st place in the 2022 Virginia/Kentucky District Fair Talent Show and was given the chance to perform the following year as a part of the festival. They also have had the opportunity to play on a handful of historic stages such as The Ravine inside of Eastern Kentucky University’s campus, as well as The Jetti Baker Center in Clintwood, VA. A highlight for the band was being able to be openers for the popular group, Sundy Best, as part of the 2023 Levitt AMP Whitesburg Music Series.

Excited to see where this group goes! Support them by following their Facebook page The Roadhouse Band and catch one of their shows!

Today’s feature is the interesting works of Mr. David Chaltas. What talent he has shared with all of us! Mr. Chaltas is an award-winning educator, motivational speaker, and acclaimed author with ninety+ books to his credit.

His book topics include Christian principles, children, history, hauntings, American Indian experiences, and personal revelations during his life’s journey. He has written over six hundred articles that have been published in local, regional, and national newspapers as well as magazines.

Another talent of Mr. Chaltas is being nationally known as a General Lee persona, having presented in 36 states. He is on ROKU (AME-TV) and featured in other documentaries. As an educator, he was the first recipient of the EBD Teacher of the Year in the state of Kentucky. His innovative program won Program of the Year by the International Directors of Pupil Personnel.

Currently, he is sharing his love of country with Caleb Howard via a series known as Celebrate Freedom. You can purchase his books on amazon at the following link: Amazon.com: David Chaltas: Books

Today we spotlight local photographer Jennifer Honeycutt. She shares her journey of becoming a wildlife enthusiast and all the great opportunities she has had to capture stunning photos right here in the beauty of our area.

"I’m a Letcher County native and live in Mayking. I have hiked throughout the southern and central Appalachians in various states and national parks, national forests, and wilderness areas. Over time however, I’ve come to realize that I don’t have to travel any further than my own backyard to experience amazing scenery and wildlife. Few places exist outside a national park where one can see such a variety of animals in a small geographic area. I photograph elk, bears, eagles, and migratory warblers from my automobile window, often along a one-mile length of road near my home.

The county’s two small lakes are migratory stops for a variety of waterfowl. This includes not only well-known species but also the occasional vagrant from far flung places, such as long tailed ducks that nest on the Arctic tundra. The small size of the lakes and proximity of the forested road make it possible to photograph from the car window. My vehicle functions as a mobile bird blind, I have been able to photograph not only migratory ducks, but other water and forest species such as herons, loons, warblers, hawks and visiting bald eagles without stepping out of my minivan.

Letcher County is home to approximately fourteen miles of the Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail that follows the crest of spectacular Pine Mountain. This grand ridgeline is considered one of the most important landscapes in the central Appalachians for conservation, particularly as habitat for neotropical birds, and is a major migration corridor for bears and other wildlife. The portion of the trail lying within Letcher County is arguably the most scenic, leading the hiker through some of the most ecologically sensitive land in the state to stand on cliffs with awesome sweeping vistas. A one lane road locally known as the Little Shepherd Trail bisects this fragile area through the heart of special public and private conservation lands. Pine Mountain is a dream for the birding and nature enthusiast!

Spring migration brings a dazzling array of warblers and other bird species, one need only point the camera out the car window on the Little Shepherd Trail to photograph both common and rare birds. Many species nest on the mountain during the summer. Warblers flit through the understory near the footpath. Bears amble down the trail. Autumn brings a riotous explosion of color and fall migration of northern birds on their southward journey. The vistas along Pine Mountain are great locations for viewing migrating raptors. I’ve also photographed Monarch butterflies in flight from these vantage points as they travelled to their wintering grounds in Mexico.

Letcher county has proven to be a great central location from which to visit several nearby Kentucky and Virginia state parks. I can choose a short- or long-day trip to hike in a park and be home before dark. Our region is an undiscovered gem for birding and wildlife viewing and I don’t have to travel long distances or contend with overcrowded conditions found in more popular destinations. There is a network of local wildlife enthusiasts who share information about all the best locations in the region to see herds of elk, nesting eagles, and bears. With all these opportunities in my own backyard, why go anyplace else?"

You can find some of her work displayed on her Facebook page: Jennifer Honeycutt.

Micah Turner is an entrepreneur born and raised between Harlan and Letcher counties here in Eastern Kentucky. An invested photographer, videographer, and author, he always has his hands on a new project in an attempt to highlight his region and its hidden gems.

“Something about the beauty found here in Eastern Kentucky has always baffled me. Raised by a family of coal miners, the coalfields always had a special place in my heart, alongside the railroad and its significance to our home. I had always been fascinated by old photographs and comparing the towns around us to how they used to be. My thoughts were, If I am this fascinated by the photos from then, maybe I can do the same now for someone in the future. It was this idea that first put a camera in my hands; given it was just a standard iPad. It wasn’t long before I would pick up my first actual camera, a simple Canon Powershot, and the rest was history.

My interest in the railroad only fueled my desire for photography. I would invest my time in both nature and train photography, capturing various award-winning shots that I am still proud of today. It wasn’t long before I dove into the video aspect of it as well, in turn, fascinated by the videos I would watch in my free time. After investing in some more equipment, I started my YouTube channel, RailfanMicahTurner, in full swing and have produced hundreds of videos since. This includes three documentaries on the coalfields (with more in production), my most recent being “Where The Coal Comes From,” which follows the process of mining, processing, and shipping coal from start to finish.

During a period when my grandparents were in the hospital, I invested my time in writing my first book titled “Down The Mine.” I had thought of the idea several years before and jotted it down in my notes, yet it had never gone any further until my days were spent in the parking lot as a result of Covid protocol. The Scotia Mine Disaster occurred in 1976, not far from where I lived, the stories of which always influenced me. After my dad responded to the Upper Big Branch disaster in 2010, the effects of mine disasters (and other disasters in general) became real to me, which would influence this goal years later. I published “Down The Mine” in April of 2022 in order to shed light upon what seemed to be a forgotten disaster, and the response blew me away. I am now approaching my thousandth sold copy, a milestone that blows me away and that I am very thankful for.

With the support I found with “Down The Mine,” I found the courage to write a second book, this time a little more personal. “Over the Gravels We Travel” is a collection of stories told by my grandfather, Coburn Turner. The charm of the book comes in the fact that the stories themselves are not grammatically correct, but told in the same way he told them to me. I would slip my phone out and record every time he would start talking and gathered an account of the world from 1940 to present. I came to realize one day, however, that those stories would be gone one day if I didn’t do something, thus my next project was born. The title came from a specific story of his, in which his brother had requested a book at the library under the same name as a prank. Thankfully I was able to finish and publish the book in June of 2023, as my grandmother and grandfather would both pass 20 days apart from one another in the months following. Though they now live on in my memories, I still have the book to cling to and remind myself of the years I had with them.

I have several more books and projects planned and in the works, so stay tuned! Most importantly I must acknowledge the fact that none of my creative passions would be possible without help from God. He strengthens me daily and gives me the ability to tackle such projects. Thanks to him, I have photos featured in 13 states, video productions with tens of thousands of views, and between both books, thousands of copies sold worldwide in 6 different countries. God has been there for me in both the good and bad times, and I give every ounce of credit to him, praying that I can use my passions to lead others to him.

I also want to thank Letcher County Tourism for the opportunity and the spotlight. I am honored to be acknowledged alongside some of my fellow artists and appreciate it beyond what words can explain.”

To find more of Micah's work and to purchase his books, you may visit his website, Flickr, or photography page at the following links, or contact him at Micaht558@gmail.com.

Website; Micah Turner (google.com)

Photography Page; (1) Micah Turner Photography | Facebook

Flickr Page; Micah Turner | Flickr

Today's sweet spotlight (pun intended) is Letcher County's beloved Missy Jones, face of "Mountain Cookin' with Missy."

We are proud of all she is doing, and boy is she doin' it all!

Here is a little bit about Missy, how she got started, and what she's into now:

"I was born and raised in Letcher County, Ky to Gene and Anna Sizemore Fields. I was born in the Miners Memorial Hospital that later became Whitesburg ARH. My Daddy worked hard in the coal mines and my parents raised me in church. I’ve always been a dreamer and I’ve always loved to sing. I can remember my Daddy picking me up so I could sing in church.

In 1990, I married Roger Jones. He had been the love of my life since I was 12 years old. Roger followed in his own Dads footsteps. In 1997, he also began working in the mines. As any young couple we desired to have children, but the odds seemed impossible. In 2003, after nearly 13 years of marriage, our miracle baby was born. We named her McKenzie Hope. She was born the day after my 34th birthday! We had hoped and prayed for her for many years and the Lord faithfully answered our prayers.

In 2007, life in the mountains began to change. The coal industry had boomed for many years, but a severe downturn hit the people of the Appalachian Mountains hard. Roger was laid off. Even though Letcher County had been my home for all of my life, we faced the hard reality that he had to find work. In 2007, we moved to Northern Kentucky and settled in a farm town called Independence. I still remember the day we said goodbye and drove the old gravel road on our way out of Tan Yard Holler to head north. Looking in my rearview mirror, I could see my mom and dad sitting on the porch watching us leave. I cried for hours. I’ll always have that image of my Mommy and Daddy in my mind.

I’ve always had a dream to share about my upbringing and culture with the world. In 2020, when friends and family encouraged me to begin sharing some of my recipes, I hesitated. I didn’t think anyone would be interested. But, after much coercion and consistent asking, I gave in and launched Mountain Cookin’ with Missy. The name came from my roots in the mountains and my desire to share our culture and way of life with the rest of the world. Appalachia has its own flavor. It goes beyond “southern” and “southern cooking.” Appalachian folks take simple things and turn them into something great.

Fast-forward to the present, Mountain Cookin’ with Missy now has more than a half of a million followers on social media. People from the UK to Australia to Canada are intrigued by our mountain way of life, our culture, and our way of making great meals from the simplest of ingredients. They want to hear the stories and memories from this coal miner’s daughter. They want to experience life the way we knew it.

In 2022 I released my first cookbook. My mother’s hands are on every page as she is the one who taught me so much. She went to heaven the day before the book was released. I’m sad that she didn’t get to see it. But her impact has been felt worldwide. The book remained on Amazon’s bestseller list for ten weeks straight and has been purchased by folks around the world.

Right now, there’s a lot of projects in the oven. We’ve launched a new YouTube channel, Instagram, TikTok and have a brand-new cookbook in the works. It will combine more mountain recipes along with special memoirs from my life in Tan Yard Holler. In the spring, we’re anticipating the launch of a long-awaited music album. I’ve recently returned from a three-day trip to Nashville working with some of the best musicians in the industry. I’m so excited for folks to hear these songs as they’re near and dear to my heart.

I’d never thought I’d leave Letcher County. I liked going places, but always loved to return home. My heart is still there, even though I don’t live there anymore. Someone once said, “You can take the girl out of the mountains, but you can never take the mountains out of the girl.” My family and I are grateful for everything the Lord has done in our lives and the opportunity He has given us to share the mountain way of life with the world. But in my heart, I still love coming “home” to visit and will always think of Letcher County as my home."

Facebook page: Mountain Cookin’ with Missy

YouTube channel: Mountain Cookin' with Missy

Website: missyjones.com

You can find her cookbook "Mountain Cookin' with Missy" on Amazon

Today's spotlight is truly a treasure to Letcher County. Their great works and diligence have brought so many great things to people all of all ages, not only in our area, but the world as well. @Cowan Community Center is a landmark in the community as a facility where everyone can feel at home, away from home. Their mission is to provide educational, social, cultural, and recreational experiences for the entire community in order to sustain healthy lifestyles that encourage intergenerational relationships.

Cowan Community Center is the hub of social, educational and cultural activities on Big Cowan and is ran by the Cowan Community Action Group, Inc., a non-profit organization. In 2008 the Cowan Community Action Group was awarded the Governor’s Folk Heritage Award for its work in promoting Kentucky’s traditional arts and in 2009 was semi-finalist for the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities’ Coming Up Taller Award.

CCC is home to and responsible for: Cowan Community Action Group, Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, Levitt Amp Concert Series, Kids on the Creek, Grow Appalachia, Old Time Jams, and Cords on the Creek,

A little more info on some of these great programs they offer:

Old Time Jams is a collaboration with Appalshop where musicians from around the regions gather to jam out to old time music. This is held at the Appalachian Groundswell building (229 Main Street Whitesburg, Ky) at 1:00 PM the first Saturday of each month. Open to the public.

Kids on the Creek Camps provides engaging learning opportunities for youth ages 5-12 at Cowan Community Center. KOTC Afterschool runs four days a week from 3:30 to 6pm, and KOTC Summer Camp expands to five days a week from 9am to 3pm. A KOTC, youth engage in diverse, exciting learning and community building outside of their regular school days. Youth will have experiences in Science, Technology, Environment, Arts, Math while working with the regional instructors and artists. KOTC and Cowan Community Center is not just a space for dynamic youth focused education, but also a place that local parents and grandparents can depend on. Registration will be open in early May and Kids on the Creek will happen June thru July. Transportation is provided with partnership from Letcher County Public Schools from CANE Kitchen in Whitesburg to Cowan.

Cords on the Creek is something new! These are monthly concerts that will be held at CCC the second Thursday of every month with the exception of June and July. This was formed to provide a platform for local artist and bands to come play and sing for a live audience with a newly improved sound system.

Levitt Amp Music Series: In late summer of 2017, CCC applied for the Levitt AMP grant which went to 15 small to medium sized towns across the United States. Our application was one of thirty selected for a public vote. Whitesburg was the smallest town in the competition but won the public vote. They kicked off the first series in the summer of 2018. The following year, through the same process we finished second in the vote, appropriately behind the new smallest town in the running, and hosted ten more concerts in 2019. Cowan won its 3rd grant for the 2020 season, but the pandemic forced a mini drive-in series, and our AMP grant was extended through the 2022 season. In 2023, we advanced beyond the public vote and began a 3-year contract with the Levitt Foundation with options for two more 3-year contracts afterward. Since 2018, the Levitt AMP Whitesburg Music Series has presented 51 free concerts to over 23,000 music lovers at the Mountain Heritage Stage, Appalshop and MCHC/CANE Kitchen campus. We can’t for 2024!

Cowan Creek Mountain Music school was established in 2002. Since, some of the country’s finest old-time musicians and students of all ages and levels have gathered at CCMMS to celebrate our rich Mountain heritage of song, music, dance, and storytelling. Every summer during the last week of June, old-time musicians from all over the world gather to learn from master musicians. It’s a jam-packed week – five full days of music classes for all levels. There will be a wide variety of afternoon workshops including beginning flat foot dancing, fiddle and banjo from scratch, Old Regular Baptist singing, blues banjo picking and much more! In the evenings, enjoy faculty concerts on Tuesday and Thursday and square dances on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and of course, lots of jams sessions. Registration for the 2024 season is now open!

These are just a few of the amazing things that they do, and we can't begin to cover all the work they do for our community! Thank you, genuinely, for everything you do to make our area a better place.

Website: https://cowancommunitycenter.org/

Mountain Music School Website: https://cowancreekmusic.org/

Many know our next feature, Cassie! Cassity Riffe McCool-Solis is a mama to three boys, nurse, educator, and author of “Who Could Love You More Than Me?”, “If You’re From the Mountains” and a faith-based blog, “My Life in Scrubs”. With a lifetime passion for spinning stories from the mundane, as her first fiction piece was written about her brother at 5 years old! She loves her family, sweet tea, and Jesus Christ. Cassity grew up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and will tell anyone who will listen how proud she is to call those mountains home (and she has the accent to prove it).

Cassity’s prayer is that her writings will make you feel known and loved. Now residing in Berea with her husband, three sons, and a plethora of houseplants, Cassity loves day trips to two of her favorite places: “back home” in Letcher County and Dollywood.

"Who Could Love You More Than Me?" challenges children to consider the deep, unbridled, wondrous love that a parent has for them. The verses in this story take children on a journey to ultimately discover the incredible love of their parents, and that this love can only be trumped by our Heavenly Father.

"If You're From The Mountains" is a love letter to the Appalachian Mountains, the ancestors that raised us, and the children growing up in those hills and valleys. "If You're From The Mountains" reminds readers of the unique beauty and charm that is our mountains. Illustrated by the children of the Appalachian Mountains themselves, "If You're From The Mountains" emphasizes why we are proud of our mountain home.

Her blog "My Life In Scrubs" includes inspiring entries about her life, children, work, spiritual journey, and more. To view it, visit www.mylifeinscrubs.com

Thank you. Cassie for sharing your stories and talent! You're inspiring!

Hemphill Community Center, Inc is a 501©3 culture bearing organization that has been operating in Letcher Co for more than 50 years. Almost six years ago it looked as if the Center would have to close for lack of funding, which had historically come from coal severance tax in the form of parks and recreation money from the Letcher Co Fiscal Court and from music events and food sales at events. There was, for the first time in over a century, no coal being mined in Letcher County. It was time to do something different.

As Hemphill is a coal camp with a deep labor history, all the community knew to do was roll up their sleeves and work harder. A community member volunteered to buy the ingredients for experimental baking. Folks working to pay off their fines, caused by the legal problems brought on by the opioid crisis, began trying their hand at making food under the leadership of folks, who had gained renown in our region as cooks and bakers. As a result of these efforts Black Sheep Brick Oven Bakery and Catering was born in June 2018. The Bakery is a DBA social enterprise of Hemphill Community Center and the “community service” personnel became paid employees.

Some things never change. Music and dance have always been one of the ways the miners and their families have taken a respite from the danger and hard work of the coal mines. This has been and remains a very strong important tradition at the Hemphill Center. Guitars hang on the wall in case someone wants to play a song. There is always live music on the weekends featuring awesome local singers, songwriters, and musicians. Some incredible musicians have had their first public performance at Hemphill Community Center and free space for music lessons is given to teachers and students. Throughout the year there are outdoor music shows and always the best brick oven pizza, handcrafted sandwiches, soups, and salads, not to mention an occasional traditional Appalachian meal cooked outside over an open fire. Good fellowship, good music, and good food are the forte of Hemphill Community Center. Supporting local cultural arts is just part of the mission.

Join us in supporting them by liking both Hemphill Community Center and Black Sheep Brick Oven Bakery's Facebook pages and visit their websites.

Center website: www.hemphillcenter.org
Black Sheep Bakery website: www.blacksheepbrickovenbakery.org

Today's Feature is Tracy Haynes from Blackey, Ky. Tracy is a published author of a book titled "The Facts About Foster Care: Volume II. " The book is formatted so that in each chapter contributing authors tell their stories about growing up in the Foster Care system and working with Foster Children. Tracy's contributions can be found in chapter 13.

Tracy was born and raised in Letcher County and went on to serve in the US Air Force for 20 years before retiring to Illinois. Last year she was featured on a local news station WPSD Local in Illinois headlined: "Illinois Vets Facebook group creates support for veterans in Southern Illinois." This article recognizes her efforts to provide support to other veterans over the past 6 years.

In 2022 Tracy was also chosen to participate in the Operation HERoes first female honor flight out of the bluegrass airport.

Tracy moved back to Blackey from Illinois just last month and plans on opening a business. We are happy to have her back and hope everyone will give her a warm welcome home!

This morning, we are spotlighting the fabulous Abbie Wynn. Abbie is a beloved baker here in Letcher County and you've probably enjoyed one of her creations at any given event or celebration! Here is a little message from Abbie:

"I was born at Isom KY in Letcher County July 11, 1950, to Henry Ford and Eliza Madden 3rd of 5 children. I graduated high school from Whitesburg High School 1968, I married Jerry Wynn on Aug 3, 1968. We had 2 Children Michelle (Paul) Mullins and Michael (Trina)Wynn. I have 2 beautiful granddaughters Krystal and Kella Wynn.

I started baking cakes when I was a teenager but decorated cakes when my daughters started school. I would take cakes to school for special occasions and parents started asking me to make their kids cakes, that’s how it all started and by word of mouth. I just keep going for 50 years. I love seeing the smile on kids faces and the brides that loved her cake it was so special to me.

I also made wedding gowns, brides maids dresses, costumes, and many other sewing items. I love to do crafts and quilt and crochet. I am also a long-time member of the Letcher County Extension Homemakers Club.

I became a Christian Aug 5, 1990, and joined the Old Regular Baptist Church. I love the Lord and my Church family. I am now retired but you can still find my “Abbie Wynn Icing" at the General Store on Pine Mountain and also at the Black Sheep Bakery.

I have met so many wonderful families over the years. It has been a wonderful life and God has blessed me with so many blessings. Thanks to everyone."

Thank you, Abby, for all the smiles you've helped create over the years!

It is no secret that Letcher County Central Drama is a very beloved program to all who have had the chance to be a part of a show or encounter one. The opportunity it gives the kids to come together to achieve something a little different than most get to, is a treasure. Year after year they put on a fantastic performance and we get to see a side of our children we more than likely, won't get to see again, thanks to Jennifer Wampler and April Frazier. Here is the story of the life of the program from them:

"Letcher County Central Drama was established during the consolidation of Whitesburg, Fleming-Neon, and Letcher High Schools. Several meetings were held prior to consolidation in the cafeteria of West Whitesburg as newly appointed Letcher County Central principal, Mr. Stephen Boggs, brought together the three faculties for joint planning. At one meeting, Mr. Boggs had staff members create a “wish” list of courses they would love to teach. For reasons unknown even to them, April Frazier and Jennifer Wampler submitted their joint request: Drama. And, from that submission, the Drama department at Letcher Central was formed.

The first years of Drama were not easy. Three high schools housed together on Whitesburg High School’s campus made for cramped quarters and not necessarily conducive for a performance-based class. Utilizing Appalshop’s stage, students were given the ability to have a place to rehearse daily. It wasn’t ideal by any stretch, but it did help guide the program in the direction it needed to go–on stage in front of a live audience. Then, in the spring of 2006–literal weeks before April and Jennifer were to deliver their children, Zoey and Chloe, LCC took what it had practiced at Appalshop and performed “An Evening with Shel Silverstein '' on its very own stage. LCCHS Drama marked its first official performance and never looked back.

The following year everyone was housed under one roof, and the class had an official place to rehearse and practice. The first endeavor was a spring play, “Jolly Roger and the Pirate King”. To everyone’s delight, the student body loved it as did the patrons. The students who signed up for this class were a mix of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. These students were athletes, valedictorians, and everything in between. No socioeconomic group dominated the landscape of the actors. You didn’t have to fit a category to be in drama. That was always our intent, and it remains our intent 19 years later.

After “Jolly Roger”, LCC Drama started to gain support from the community and the LCPS Board of Education. The purchase of ten wireless microphones changed the program. The microphones were utilized during “A Christmas Carol”, the first full-scale production produced in December of 2007. This production was well received, and more and more students wanted to be part of the program. To include more students into the program, it needed to expand. The most reasonable option to get bigger and include more students was to produce musicals. “Grease” was chosen. In 2009, digital concert recordings were not invented or weren’t readily available to us, so we hired a live pianist to accompany the show. Jessica Slone joined our team that year as musical director, and together we continued to grow. From “Grease” LCC tackled “Wizard of Oz”, “Happy Days”, “Seussical: The Musical”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “High School Musical”, “Newsies”, “Mamma Mia: The Musical”, and this season, we cap out of our 19 years, and 24 productions later, with a revival of “Footloose”.

Admittedly, Drama was not always what it is today. When Drama first began, we had a handful of people from LCC who helped with lights, sound, sets, and anything in between! Things change and evolve, and the support we have had has come in waves and with different groups of kids. Each person who contributed in some way deserves to be acknowledged, but there is not enough space that could hold every name over 19 years and 20+ shows. When we look back at how it started to what it is now, it is amazing to the both of us. Actually, it is almost surreal. Our first show didn’t have 50 people in attendance. This year, “Footloose” will be seen by every student in LCPS and perform THREE public performances. We have grown with this program, raised our kids in the auditorium, and have given it the very best of our abilities. This production is bigger and bolder than anything prior; to think we started off as a normal high school drama club with no auditorium and have evolved into something bigger than we could have ever imagined is a testament to the support we have received over the years.

This March, 2024, we put on the stage our final show. It is bittersweet. Our cast, which once consisted of around 15 students, now showcases 45. Our sets, lights, sound, choreography, costume, hair, and makeup are done to the highest quality and the best of our abilities with a team of professionals who have a true heart for helping our kids shine. This season in our lives has been a labor of love; not always easy; often hard on the heart and spirit, but in the end, extremely rewarding and validating. Without fail, each curtain call we watch as every kid takes their walk onto the stage for their last bows. Everyone gets a moment in the center. We would like to think, at that moment, all playing fields are equal and everyone has a moment to shine. They stand there and allow the applause and adoration of the crowd to wash over them. They beam as if they won an Academy Award. Working with students is not a piece of cake kind of job. In fact, if you are in it for any other reason than to elevate a child to a place, they couldn’t have imagined for themself, you are in for all the wrong reasons. The true joy is in the moment when they shine and smile and feel something special that can never be taken away. So, for everyone who has come to a show or who plans to attend “Footloose”, remember that every child on the stage, for that one shining moment, is a star.

We hope you continue to support the arts for years to come. We have so much talent on that stage and in our schools. Thank you for supporting and following along on this journey. It has been a trip we will never forget.

It is worth noting that while we have had enormous help and support over the past 19 years, the names and faces have changed. All things must; life is a constant cycle of change and those who were with us for a season contributed so much, and we are grateful. However, two people have been with us from Day ONE and will finish with us on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Kim Sergent, makeup artist extraordinaire, has researched the best makeup to use on stage and honed her techniques to help characters such as the Wicked Witch, Shrek, Ebenezer Scrooge, and the Cat in the Hat shine on stage. She is a friend and a talent, and no words could ever express our eternal thanks to her for the time she has given to LCCHS Drama. In addition to Kim, we could never forget Keith Adams. Keith was also with us from the beginning … and believe me, those beginnings were HUMBLE. Keith transformed high school students into incredible characters, and they loved him so dearly. And though Keith is no longer with us physically, he remains with us in our hearts and minds."

As they mentioned above, they will put on "Footloose" for two public performances that will take place this Friday and Saturday! You can reserve tickets by calling Letcher Central High School. We hope you get a chance to see it.

Thank you, ladies, for your dedication to the program. We can wait to see what the future holds for LCCHS Drama.

Today we spotlight Jill Robertson! Jill is an Eastern Kentucky artist, she believes that art has value and that, through the arts, we can create a new wave of innovators and entrepreneurs that will create financial and systems diversity, while preserving the heritage of the mountains.

Jill has years of experience working in multiple facets of the nonprofit world and has participated in, and organized, numerous civic projects throughout Eastern Kentucky.

In 2015-16, Jill took a break from career and civic activities to devote time to self-exploration and artistic development during which time she took metallurgy classes via the Kentucky School of Craft. This kindled a passion with metal working in all its forms.

Jill is a 2018 recipient of the Kentucky Foundation for Women Artist Enrichment Grant, a grant that assisted her in further developing metallurgical skills and led to the creation of visible public/community art in Hazard, Kentucky. Jill is a visible female welder/artist in schools and throughout the community, she educates youth and challenges existing schemas by normalizing welding as an art form practiced by women.

Jill's proudest accomplishment, her work as a lead artist of a sculpture project entitled “The Healing Tree”. A collaborative project organized and sponsored by Partners for Rural Impact. This life size 18 by 16 foot steel tree, is located at the ARTSTATION in Hazard, KY. It's leaves representing individuals lost to covid or the flood and or the people and things that helped us as a community pull through those times. Each leaf, the work of hundreds of students and community members throughout Perry County, KY.

Some accomplishments and activities:

• A founded member of The Wayfair Collective

• Teaching Artist

• Redbud Board Member

• KY Guild Member

• Appalachian Artisan Center (teaching artist/ juried member)

• Owner of Appalachia’s Daughter: beautiful handmade jewelry and stain glass work

• Creative Place Consultant/ organizer

Join us in supporting her by following her business page: @Appalachia's Daughter

We are becoming more and more amazed as the days go by at all the talent we have here in our county. Adding to that list, we spotlight John Haywood.

In Letcher County Kentucky, John Haywood, is a tattooer, painter and musician. He performed banjo on the Grammy nominated Tyler Childers Album “Long Violent History,” later contributing vocals and banjo to Childer’s version of “Two Coats.” He also performed with Childers at Radio City Music Hall, Bonaroo, and Red Rocks Amphitheater. He recently released a solo banjo cd of old-time east Kentucky songs and a 12” lp with his rock band Appalachiatari.

His art and tattoo work draws from the experiences, culture, and music of the hollers and coalfields, and has been collected by diverse individuals from across the globe, earning him numerous awards and honors.

He was apprentice to banjo master/historian George Gibson, and a regular member of the late Lee Sexton’s band. In 2011, he established the Parlor Room Art and Tattoo in Whitesburg, a gathering place for local heathens, art enthusiasts, and music lovers.

A man of many talents, that is for sure! you can check out his personal facebook page and business page: @Lonesome John’s - Haywoodarts

Todays feature is author Eddie Nickels! Eddie is a Letcher County non-fiction author that first recognized his love of history, especially local history, at the tender age of nine years.

The history book artwork showing a Union soldier nailing the American flag back onto the flagstaff from which a cannonball had knocked it down during the opening attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor started his lifetime of studying the War Between the States. At the time, he was unaware that his own maternal great grandfather was in fact, a participant in that war as a Confederate soldier. It was only after several years of research and studying of both antagonists that he discovered the facts of his own great-grandfather’s service on the Southern side of the war.

While other kids of his age were spending their weekends playing baseball, football, or basketball, Eddie was walking from his home on Tunnel Hill to the Letcher County Public Library in Whitesburg and reading and checking out historical books of all kinds to read in his spare time. As he was reading a book on WWII or the Civil War, he could imagine himself as almost being there and being personally involved in the war. His father being a WWII veteran of the U.S. Army also helped solidify his interest in historical events, especially about the many wars the United States have been involved in over the years.

Although his hobby of studying history never waned over the years, he was married at a very young age to his (still) wife Wanda and found himself involved in one of our country’s troubles that he was so fond of reading about. In 1966 he was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina, where he trained to become a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. While in training he received $93.00 a month and his wife received a similar amount to live on. It’s obvious that hardly anyone became a member of the American armed forces for the money only during that time. Only the love of country and its people could account for undergoing such hardship for so little compensation, but hundreds of thousands of men and women gladly made the sacrifice.

In 1972 he received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. After serving his country Eddie returned from military service and worked several jobs in raising his kids, two sons, Steve and Jeff, and one daughter, Alisha, and retired first from Scotia Coal Company after over 17 years as a coal miner and then from Monumental Insurance Company after eleven years employment. He also worked for several years as a traveling sales representative for Lewis Wholesale Company of Whitesburg, Kentucky and as an Instructional Assistant for the Letcher County school system.

After retirement Eddie decided to turn his love of history and of reading into a few books of his own and began by writing his first book, Six Years to Live. This book details his early childhood years of growing up in coal camps and other neighborhoods and the antics of himself and his childhood friends and family members. As his dad worked in the coal mines of Letcher, Knott, and Floyd counties, he and his family lived in the various coal camps associated with the local coal mines of the area, making for some fun times and not so fun times. A lot of the book details Eddie’s Tunnel Hill antics and his friends that grew up with him in that area.

The next book is one that Eddie felt compelled to write about was his training at Parris Island, South Carolina, during his initial boot camp training as a marine. Few people can go through that storied and famous (or infamous) training ground without undergoing a life-changing experience, as he did also. The first thing Eddie heard from a superior while there was; “You have two ways of leaving this island, on a bus or in a box!” He was determined to leave on a bus and managed to do so. It really did make men out of boys and left a lasting impression on those that managed to complete the training. The book isn’t about war, although conflict was raging in South East Asia at the time, but is rather about the hardships associated with leaving home, job, and family, all while trying to undergo some of the harshest training of all the services, especially in the mind-bending category. This book tells all about his own personal feelings and experiences while in training at Parris Island. The book is called Marine Corps Draftee.

Parris Island, 1966 With his life-time love of all things about the War Between the States it is only fitting that Eddie would eventually write a book on the Civil War. The book is called Garfield versus Marshall and tells the facts of several Civil War battles in and around Letcher, Pike, and Floyd County, Kentucky and several Western Virginia counties. Special emphasis is on the battles around Pound Gap during the war. The battles around Ivy Mountain and Middle Creek are also included in the book.

As a Scotia coal miner Eddie was present on the day of the first explosion at the Imboden mine on March 9, 1976 and was a witness to the deceased miners being brought outside the mine after the explosion. He was asked to work on the night of the second explosion (March 11) but his wife stopped him from going, which probably save his life, as the second explosion occurred that very night that he was offered to work. He spent the next eight months helping to recover the bodies of the second explosion victims, which gave him an insight to the whole recovery procedure and he was again witness to the 2nd group of bodies being brought outside the mine. This gave him a special prospective on the explosions and recovery of all the deceased men of both explosions. Because of these facts the writing of the book on the explosions at Scotia was a task that he thought he should attempt. The name of the book that he finished in 2017 is called Scotia: Coal Mine of Doom.

He later decided that he needed to write a second book on the Scotia tragedies to catch up on some more information that he might have neglected or missed with the first book. The second Scotia book is called Black Mountain Elegy and was published in 2022. This book was edited by his grandson Joshua Dylan Nickels, whom is an excellent writer, reviewer, and editor of the written word on his own.

Of all the decisions he has made in his life, the decision to come back home and raise his family in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky in general and in Letcher County particularly is one that he is glad he made. He wouldn’t want to live in anyplace else but these mountains that he and generations of his family have lived and worked in and around. The people of every community are the life there-of and Letcher County has some of the best people to be found anywhere in our nation. All of Eddie’s books can be found on Amazon.com and other online bookstores by typing in his name or the name of the book.

Eddie, thank you for your fascination and dedication to our county. We are lucky to have you!

Our next artist brings something to unique to the table! Luann Vermillion is a Letcher County native who uses the beauty of flowers to create fascinating art like prints, pendants, jewelry, travel cases, and more. Here is a message from Luann on her background:

"Growing up in Whitesburg KY, flowers and plants of the mountains have always surrounded and inspired me. Although my education is in Biochemistry, I have been interested in arts and crafts all of my life. In 1999, I took the plunge to become a full-time professional artist. I have been a juried, exhibiting member of Kentucky Crafted and Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen for over 20 years now. I love to combine botanicals and their images in different ways with a variety of paper types, to create functional and decorative art pieces. I am currently sharing my love of art with the next generation by teaching at JMHS in Jenkins, KY.

The inspiration for my Vintage Paper Collection these came to me in a dream, following the death of my mother and facing the sad challenge of what to do with several old family books. The bindings of the vintage books had disintegrated but the patina of the antique paper was unique and beautiful. Turning them into art and sharing them with others seemed like something my mother would have approved of.

I hand paint on the antique paper using a combination of watercolor paint, colored wax and ink. The translucent nature of watercolor paint allows me to layer it on top of the fragile paper so that the painting and the original writing can both be seen. Each piece is handmade exclusively by me in my home, deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains."

Join us in supporting Luann by following her Facebook page Wildflowers by Luann

Anita Bentley is a Southeastern Kentucky artist who successfully and passionately uses her creative skills and art to share a genuine and deeply held love and respect for her Christian faith and the beautiful old ways of her mountain roots. Through farming, hand-crafted soaps, and cheese-making, she strives to preserve, celebrate, and pass down the Appalachian memories and traditions of her childhood in Southeastern Kentucky.

Anita’s art is a lovely and eclectic blend of vintage and modern, rustic and refined, folksy and formal. Her work has been described as 'Romantically Appalachian’, timeless, rustic, rural, folk art, Americana. Through pencil drawing, oil painting, and assemblage, Anita strives to express the beauty and importance of faith, family, and home.

"These are the inspiration for my art because they are so much a part of who I am, and I am blessed to be surrounded by them daily... I believe it is important to surround ourselves with those things which uplift, encourage, inspire peace and reflection on our Creator and what is good. That is what I want my art to do, for myself, as well as for others."

Anita is a resident of Pike County, Kentucky. She currently lives on a small farm that belonged to her grandmother, Pearl Potter Bentley, and has passed down within her family for over a century. With the help of her family, as a single mother, she received a bachelor's degree in art education from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and a master's degree in secondary education from Morehead State University. She taught Visual Arts in the Letcher County school system for seventeen years and took an early retirement to pursue her art career. Prior to teaching, Anita worked in advertising and design as art director for a small printing company in Jenkins, Ky.

She has shown her work throughout Kentucky in Whitesburg, Pikeville, Shelbyville, and Lexington (Loudon House Gallery, UK Markey Cancer Center,
Christ Church Cathedral, Governor’s Derby Day exhibit in the Kentucky State capital, and participation in a collaborative project/exhibit with Cardinal Hill Children’s Hospital and Lexington art league). She has recently shown in several group exhibitions in the neighboring state of Virginia, at Charles W. Harris gallery in Wise. She currently shows and serves on the board of the EpiCentre Arts Gallery in Whitesburg, Ky.

To learn more about Anita and her work, find her on Facebook and Instagram Anita Bentley art Website coming soon!

Today's spotlight is a local favorite band that is making a big name for themselves with every set they play. Wayne Graham is killing it, and we'd like to share a little more about them!

Wayne Graham was formed in 2010 by brothers, Hayden and Kenny Miles. They grew up playing music in Letcher County and the rest of Kentucky, in church and in their own band.

They eventually started a recording studio in Mayking where they recorded their own music as well as many other regional musicians. They have released 9 original records and toured the U.S. and Europe extensively under their band name, Wayne Graham.

The band's name was named after two of their favorite Kentuckians, their grandfathers, Wayne Miles and Graham Kincer. "Wayne was a renaissance man. Curiosity and good hand-eye coordination are a deadly combination. He was an electrician, a locksmith, a mechanic, a coal miner, a guitarist, and a singer, but the roles that took the highest priority in his life were husband, father, brother, and son. He approached life with a laughable optimism and proved over time he was right. He made sure to be my earliest memory and I have consulted him, wherever he is, with every major decision in my life. Over the years, I've met many strangers who knew him. Their tall tale is the same as those I've heard before. He was a legendary man with more soul than his body could hold."

"Graham was the first one of his brothers to own a car. He was able to buy it because he started working when he was very young. When his younger brother graduated from high school, he drove him to college. He left his car with him and headed home to pine creek. He married my grandmother and bought a small shack on Pine Creek. They moved in in February, a logging trail covered in snow, to a shack with quarter inch slits between the slats. He slowly bought that mountain, acre by acre, building more rooms on his house for his growing family. He was the neighborhood farmer, old regular Baptist, democrat, World War II vet, coal miner, romance novel patron, Kentucky Wildcats fan. His image flashes in my periphery at least once a day, reminding me his constant refrain when he and Mamaw kept me in my early years, "This boy is gonna make me president."

Support them by following their page Wayne Graham and find out where they're playing next!

Sammy Ray McKinney was born in 1951 to Woodie and Billie Lorraine McKinney. His parents both grew up in Letcher County and resided in Flemming Neon. Sam gives them much credit for the artist he became through watching their work ethic, adaptability, faith, and ability to provide for themselves. Sam says he first became aware of his creative self when he accepted the concept that a heavenly being had created a world of divine beauty. He favored the ridgetops and formations that had survived after everything around them had melted away. In awe of the beauty of creation as he looked out into the layers of mountains…He wanted to express it.

His first known effort at the age of four was a 3D figure made of notebook paper and pink ribbon. Mothers’ intuition told Billie to hold onto it, as she sensed it was something special. As Sam’s creativity blossomed, his mother saved other projects that she eventually compiled in a scrapbook that Sam still has today. By fifth grade, Sam knew he’d become an artist.

When the time came for Sam to attend college, his father was hesitant about Sam making a living as an artist. They compromised and Sam agreed to also pursue a teaching certificate as well. This way, he’d have “something to fall back on.” Sam enrolled in nearby Morehead State Universities highly respected art program in 1969, learning under distinguished professors, one being another beloved Letcher County artist, Doug Adams.

Sculptor Sam McKinney represents the artist whose creativity had been inspired by his native landscape and culture. Except for short periods of time, McKinney never strayed far from his Appalachian homeland, and he admits that the area molded his perceptions of beauty and form as well as his ethics and values. In Appalachia, earning a living in the coal mines, the forest, a factory, or even art requires adaptability, ingenuity, and hard work. Blessed with a curious mind and a creative twist, McKinney has produced works which grace the halls of state, majestic homes, museums, sculpture gardens, colleges, and commercial buildings. Although known chiefly as a sculptor, McKinney doesn’t allow his creativity to be so narrowly defined. He paints in all mediums, creates multi-media pieces, draws, and produces etched glass and stained glass works.

Sam’s first commissioned sculpture was a life-size Madonna and Child for St. Claire Hospital in Morehead, KY. After completion, the piece was installed outdoors and, unfortunately, was vandalized and destroyed. Hospital administrators re-commissioned the piece and was installed in the same location as the original and it too was destroyed, this time by an irate physician. Jesus Our Savior Church in Morehead decided to commission the piece a third time and it was safely installed inside the church.

In the mid 1980’s Letcher County sheriff Ben “Buster” Taylor and a local veterans group bemoaned the fact that their county lacked a proper war memorial and challenged the county’s citizens to donate funds so that one could be erected at the courthouse in Whitesburg. With funds secured, the group approached native Sam McKinney about sculpting a representational piece for the project. Using a Vietnam War veteran and friend as a live model, McKinney produced an emotive piece titled “Freedom’s Price” in which a lone soldier laments a fallen comrade who is identified by a set of dog tags held in the soldier’s hand and by an empty helmet at his feet. Because the memorial honored veterans from several wars, the soldier carried both WWI and II rifles. McKinney had the model wear his father’s jump boots and used his father's own WWII dog tags for the mold. This piece of sculpture demonstrated McKinney’s ability to work congenially with clients, to produce a quality product using innovative techniques, and to seek ways to personalize commissions for intended audience.

McKinney’s next commission came from Knott County by family and friends of the region’s influential congressmen Carl D. Perkins. A full-figured life size sculpture of a legislator to be installed in front of the Hindman courthouse. When the statue was unveiled, Perkins’ widow, Velma, was overcome with the likeness that she burst into tears. In recognition of Perkins’ leadership, McKinney was commissioned again to paint an oil portrait of Perkins that hangs in the Sam Rayburn building in Washington D.C as well as a bronze bust of Perkins for Morehead State University.

As McKinney’s reputation expanded, he received several commissions for bronze busts and more affordable portraits. He also returned to Morehead to pursue a master’s degree in art. As part of an assistantship, he was commissioned to paint a portrait of Appalachian scholar, author, and poet, James Still. What began as an artist/subject relationship turned into a mid-career mentorship.

In 2000 King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) in Ashland interviewed several artists about designing a fountain for their main campus adjacent to Central Park. Captivated by McKinney’s drawings, KDMC commissioned him to design “Flow of Life,” a small fountain that would include several life-size bronze figures. The design had a four-member family frolicking with water. The father holding his son out while water falls from the boy’s pail, splashing the females below. “Flow of Life” was the first commissioned public sculpture in Ashland’s history. The administrators were so charmed by Sam’s creation that he received a bonus upon completion. McKinney could not have imagined that this initial project would lead to a decade of KDMC commissioned art. Later, McKinney designed a larger fountain for KDMC’s new Heart and Vascular center. “Trinity” consists of three sets of three hearts. The fountains plaque explains the significance of tripartite relationships. Family: the father, mother, child; primary colors: red, blue, yellow; state of being: mind, body, spirit; time: past, present, future. Another notable piece for KDMC includes his dangling “Healing Hands” fixture in the atrium of the heart and vascular center. The piece consists of one large, inverted heart joined to another hanging heart. To express the importance of the human touch in the healing process, McKinney lined the stainless-steel ribs that form the hearts with colorful acrylic hands, casted of the hands of actual hospital administrators, doctors, and other health care professionals. From 2000 to 2012, McKinney produced nine pieces of artwork.

He also received a call from Pyramid Hill, a sculpture garden outside Hamilton, OH to commission a sculpture of the archetypical first man, Adam. The sculpture would be named “Adam’s First Breath.” The materials symbolize the basic elements from which God formed man and illustrate the steady evolution from loose igneous rock to granite. Adam forcefully emerges from the top like a powerful, but dazed, hero. Many people consider this piece to be McKinney’s masterpiece and the artist himself declares is “the culmination of my artistic journey…I achieved my vision, the moment of becoming, in every way.” A decade later, Pyramid Hill commissioned him to produce another sculpture honoring the tempestuous love of Romeo and Juliet titled “Wherefore Art Thou.”

McKinney’s work was featured in the 2012 trade publication 'Masters in Landscape and Public Sculpture', which recognizes the works of leading sculptors worldwide. Particularly gratified when he discovered publishers chose “Adam’s First Breath” to grace the cover. McKinney also has a chapter dedicated to him and his works in the book "Hidden Heros of the Big Sandy Valley" which celebrates an exclusive group of extraordinary people who helped shape the Big Sandy Valley over the past 200 years. We credit the majority of this writing to the biography of Sam McKinney inside this incredible book. Please take the time to purchase it and read it for yourself, as it can be found on multiple platforms including Amazon.

Since the publication of this biography on Sam, he has accomplished several other amazing works. In 2018, McKinney and friend Eddie Holton sculpted a life size female buffalo and calf bronze sculpture to roam Limestone Landing Park in Maysville, KY. Also at Limestone Landing, he sculpted a life-size bust of a Shawnee Chief, Tecumseh. He created a four-foot bronze and black granite sculpture of Jesus for Christ Church in Harlan County and most recently, in the fall of 2023 McKinney sculpted a stunning bronze centennial Eagle for his alma mater, Morehead State University. The piece is titled “The Spirit of Aspiration.”

What a legacy Sam McKinney has created. Impacting so many over the course of his life, he isn’t done yet! We can’t wait to see what’s next, but we do know this, it will be spectacular. We are full of pride!

Sam’s website: www.sammckinneyart.com
Facebook Page: Sam McKinney Fine Art Reproductions

We have enjoyed our artistic spotlights more than you know! We are truly in awe at the talent rooted in our area. Our last feature goes out to the folks that arguably, could be credited for a large amount of the artistic influence we see in our area today. Founded 55 years ago, Appalshop is an organization of storytellers who uplift Appalachian voices by offering them space to tell their own stories in their own words through documentary film, theater, community radio, an archive, and more. Here is a bit on the history of the Appalshop:

When they got their start in the fall of 1969, there was no Appalshop exactly — just a community film workshop. Its goal was simple: Teach young Appalachians to operate 16 mm film equipment, boost the economy through vocational training, offer a counternarrative to the one that made Eastern Kentucky the poster child for American poverty.

It was a runaway success! Young people in Whitesburg learned how to operate cameras, audio recorders, and a “portable video machine” from an instructor who was still quite young himself. Bill Richardson came to Eastern Kentucky when he was fresh out of graduate school at Yale, where he’d written a thesis heralding the potential of video equipment to be “an amazing recorder of community.” He was right. The films that young people made in that early workshop paved the way for its participants’ careers as professional filmmakers — and for the organization that came to be known as Appalshop.

By 1975, the film-training workshop had twenty full-time employees and annual funding of $1 million. Grant money was coming in and so were Appalachian young people, making art, music, theater, and other creative work far beyond the scope of the original film workshop that had started it all in 1969. In 1982, after three years of renovations, they moved to the former bottling plant that became their home until the flood in 2022. By the end of the 1990s, Appalshop’s staff had more than doubled and its annual budget had increased as much as 400 percent.

Today Appalshop operates a radio station, a theater, a public art gallery, a record label, an archive, a filmmaking institute, a reproductive justice program, a community development program, and a frankly dizzying array of other initiatives. While the 2022 flood displaced Appalshop from its iconic 1982 building in downtown Whitesburg, the organization has temporary offices on Main Street in Whitesburg and Jenkins.

In the last year, they have released two new films: "Wiley's Last Resort" about WMMT DJ and community icon Jim Webb, and "All Is Not Lost," a love letter to Letcher County as the community recovers from the flood. They are also adding their extensive catalog of films to YouTube, so be sure to subscribe at https://youtube.com/appalshop.

Appalshop's community radio station, @wmmtfm, is transitioning from the Possum Den, a mobile RV studio meant for traveling shows and weather alerts, to a space in downtown Whitesburg where the team can be more integrated into the community.

The @appalarchive, which houses the largest audio-visual collection of Appalachian content in the world, is working closely with amazing vendors who are helping restore everything damaged by the flood. Restored, digitized footage is just now starting to come back, so keep an eye out for updates!

Appalshop's youth media program, @appalachianmedia, continues this summer. For nearly four decades, this program has documented what topics matter to Appalachian youth aged 14 to 22 as they learn to create documentaries. Their films can also be found on Appalshop YouTube channel.

A new initiative, AppalHealth (bit.ly/AppalHealth), recently launched. African American staff at Appalshop are documenting and sharing the life stories and health experiences of African American communities in Letcher County and throughout Eastern Kentucky. They welcome volunteers to share oral histories!

And on June 1, 2024, Appalshop will host the annual FREE music and arts festival Seedtime on the Cumberland at our Solar Pavilion in downtown Whitesburg. They'd love for you to join in the festivities and celebrate the rich arts and culture of this region.

The flood may have displaced Appalshop, but their work and commitment to Letcher County remain strong! We strongly encourage you to follow them on Facebook or subscribe to their newsletter at Appalshop.org to learn more.