Here’s a round-up of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
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Documentary to premiere in Bristol
“In Good Keeping in 2022,” a feature-length documentary film showcasing the artists and tradition-bearers from the 2021-2022 class of the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, will premiere June 15 in Bristol.
The premiere is co-presented with the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions and will be held in the performance theater at the museum in Historic Downtown Bristol at 5:30 p.m. EDT, June 15. The event is free and open to all, but pre-registration is requested. To pre-register, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
Since its inception in 2002, the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program has served over 150 teams of mentor artists and apprentices representing the breadth of cultural expression in the Commonwealth.
Patrons are encouraged to experience a virtual tour of Real Folk: Passing on Trades & Traditions Through the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program special exhibit to provide more context to the film premiere. You’ll find it by visiting BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org and navigating to the Museum page, then Exhibits. The virtual tour is listed among the past exhibits section of the website.
There will be a brief reception with refreshments at 5:30 p.m. prior to the screening of the film at 6:00 p.m. . Audience members may also stay after the screening for a discussion and live music from participating artists including Walter “Skip” Herman and K. T. Vandyke, Emily Spencer and Lisa Ring, Chris Testerman, Sophia Burnette and Karlie Keepfer, Eddie Bond and Andrew Small, and Mac Traynham and Ashlee Watkins.
For more information about the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, visit VirginiaFolklife.org. For more information about the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, visit MidAtlanticArts.org. For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
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UVA Wise gets federal grant to continue Upward Bound program
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the University of Virignia’s College at Wise a $2.1 million grant to continue the Upward Bound program for the next five years. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their pre-college performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits.
“The Upward Bound program is an example, among many, of how we support the high school students in our region,” said UVA Wise Chancellor Donna P. Henry in a statement. “This program offers students opportunities they might never experience otherwise and these opportunities result in their successful graduation from high school and acceptance to the college of their choice and, of course, UVA Wise is the best choice.”
To qualify, high school students must come from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree, or they also must meet income eligibility requirements.
This year, students will be selected for the program from Central High School, Eastside High School, Ridgeview High School and Union High School. The program serves 80 students.
For information about the Upward Bound program at UVA Wise, contact upwardbound@uvawise.edu or call 276-328-0175.
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Kruger Brothers and Kontras Quartet to play June 18 at Blue Ridge Music Center
In celebration of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s 25th anniversary, the Blue Ridge Music Center is presenting the Kruger Brothers and Kontras Quartet at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 18, in the outdoor amphitheater. A preshow award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. will honor key champions of the Foundation’s work to enhance the national park. The Music Center is at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Galax and 30 minutes from Sparta and Mount Airy, N.C.
The trio known as the Kruger Brothers are based in Wilkesboro, N.C., and known for a sound that blends bluegrass with elements of classical music. Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a young age. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were 11 and 12 years old. In 1995, they became a trio with the addition of bass player Joel Landsberg, a native of New York City.
The Chicago-based Kontras Quartet treads the line between classical music and American folk, and continues Kontras Quartet’s ongoing collaboration with the Kruger Brothers, that began with their 2017 release, Roan Mountain Suite.
Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 on the day of show, $10 for children 12 and younger. Advance tickets are available online at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org. Day of show tickets can be purchased at the admission gates in the evening.
Parking opens at 5:15 p.m. and is free. Admission to the amphitheater begins at 5:45 p.m.
During the concert, The Galax Smokehouse and the Bluffs Restaurant will be offering food and beverages for purchase.
This concert is sponsored by Yadkin Arts Council and First Citizens Bank.
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