CULLOWHEE – Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Awards, prestigious honors bestowed on an individual and an organization each year for contributions to or for playing a prominent role in research, preservation and curation of Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore.
Recipients are chosen by a committee comprised of regional and campus representatives. The awards, through two categories, recognize an individual and an institution or organization for distinguished service, accomplishments, influence or expertise in maintaining the cultural viability of the mountain region.
Awards will be presented at the 45th annual Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 28, on the WCU campus. Named as one of the top 20 festivals in the Southeast, this community event celebrates Southern Appalachian culture through homespun music, food, dance, arts and crafts, and more than 150 vendors and demonstrators, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, as is parking and shuttle service.
Letters of nomination should not exceed five pages and should include the full name of the individual or organization being nominated, with a website address if applicable; the mailing address of the nominee; the founding date for organizational nominees; a list of the nominee’s accomplishments; a list of the awards and other recognitions received by the nominee; information about the nominee’s influence in the relevant field of expertise, such as crafts, music or organizational cause; and information about the nominee’s role as a teacher, advocate, leader or curator of mountain culture.
Nominations should be delivered no later than Friday, June 28, to the Mountain Heritage Center offices, located in Room 240 of WCU’s Hunter Library; mailed to Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723; or emailed to pameister@wcu.edu.
– Western Carolina University release
