In 1973, a group of forward-thinking folks concerned about the risk of losing their cultural heritage came together to form the Augusta Heritage Center.
“They were concerned that there was not a structure in place to protect that heritage,” says Seth Young, the executive director of the Augusta Heritage Center. “Without that, the knowledge existed only in people’s heads. There was no internet in 1973. If someone passed away, it would be like a library burned. Because of that, people were highly energized to form a structure for preserving their cultural heritage.”
The Center now provides a way to step back and look at the broader picture. “People can look at how our culture does something, then at how other cultures do it. They can then explore the intersections of commonalities, which gives a deep and authentic experience designed to broaden the participants' horizons. Often, it is societal conditions that set the tone for art. Through our Center, people can meet the major history and culture bearers.”
The Augusta Heritage Center facilitates cultural education through immersive and experiential workshops in music, craft, dance, foodways, and folklore to preserve the past while promoting cultural heritage. “We also work to build community,” says Seth. “We do that by bringing folk arts education to underserved communities, providing access to cultural experiences to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity.”
The Center preserves its Appalachian heritage through an online archive of concerts, interviews, musical recordings, and oral histories. The Augusta Archive contains a wealth of cultural knowledge spanning nearly one hundred years. The living archive continues to grow as material is collected from the field and digitized. There are now almost one thousand entries, and the goal is to make the material as accessible as possible, with no barriers due to cost.
The Center celebrates local talent, documents traditions, and provides a space for the community to gather and connect, establishing a more inclusive and culturally rich society.
While the Augusta Heritage Center presents several concerts, workshops, conferences, and classes each year, the most notable event is the three-week immersive Augusta Summer Heritage Workshops on the Davis & Elkins College campus. “It’s a cross-pollination of sorts,” explains Seth. “We have three weeks of classes, and each week offers courses on a cross-cultural mix of music, dancing, crafts, cooking, and more.
Ross is excited about this year’s classes. “The first week will be Cajun/Creole and Classic Country, where Lafayette meets Nashville. Participants can choose four classes to take during the week.”
Next is Bluegrass and Vocal Week. “The vocal will have more of a world bent,” says Seth. “We’ll have folks teaching high lonesome singing and Georgia polyphonic singing. The bluegrass players enjoy listening to the chords of the singers, and some even cross over to study vocalization with our awesome teachers.” This event was recognized as the IMBA Bluegrass Event of the Year 2020.
The final week is Blues and Old-Time Week. “Both styles are a wellspring of the popular styles of music we have today,” says Seth. “As a slide guitarist, it’s one of my favorite weeks.”
Several guest artists will be on hand to teach classes and workshops. “Rhiannon Giddens was a student here at one time, and she came back often as a teacher,” Seth says. “Last year, we had a surprise performance by Bela Fleck. His wife, Abigail Washburn, was teaching vocals that week, and he wanted to workshop his Gershwin music. He wouldn’t let us announce it, so we just said it was a workshop with a special guest. Everyone was blown away.”
Among the notables in this year’s lineup of guest artists are Greg Blake, Becky Buller, Greg Cahill, Rebecca Frazier, Tyler Grant, Murphy Henry, John Seebach, and others.
Seth has been involved with the Center since childhood when he took a mini class in blues harmonica there as a child. He became more interested in music during high school and went to Augusta during his teen years to learn more about the music in the region where he grew up. Before working at the Augusta Heritage Center, Seth had spent his entire career in education.
“There are some challenging aspects to this job, but it’s in those moments when I get to watch an audience’s reaction that makes it all worthwhile. And to make it even better, our guest artists not only perform, but they take us through the process. It’s quite special.”
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