ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — For a couple of weeks in the summer at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, musicians and artists immerse themselves in their craft via workshops.
This year’s workshops have been hosted at Davis and Elkins College. The historic nature of the campus, nestled in the mountains, is the perfect backdrop to learn music with old roots and maintain some old friendships.
12 News spoke with one student who first came to Augusta in 2018.
“Someone told me they could still hear music at four o’clock this morning. People jamming, playing together. People who might not see each other for a year,” Mike Hohn said.
The Augusta Heritage Center said that it brings masters of their craft to teach for the summer. Justin Golden is a Blues musician from Richmond and was the Blues instructor this year. When asked about what he likes about the Blues, Golden said, “It’s the sound of your soul. You know, you lay it all out there. It’s a beautiful feeling.”
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The goal of the Augusta Heritage Center is to preserve traditional Appalachian art and culture. To that end, there are events for kids, teens, and adults, including a number of crafts, such as screen printing, crafting brooms, and stained glass making.
”What it facilitates is the pillars upon which happiness is built. A sense of belonging, a sense of community, and a sense of purpose. And so while you may see a guitar class or a stained glass class or a weaving class, what’s really happening is a community is being built,” Executive Director of the Augusta Heritage Center Seth Young said.
The Augusta Heritage Center said that its summer workshops would be back next year, next time for five weeks instead of three, and at its own facilities in downtown Elkins.
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