BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County Stories of Place welcomed its seventh annual Arts Residency at Martin County High School. The program brought three days of creativity and community to the classrooms of Samantha Maynard, 10th-grade English teacher, and Mandy Lawson, 11th-grade creative writing teacher.
The November residency expanded its reach this year with an Open Mic and Culture Showcase held Nov. 21 in the high school auditorium. The evening gave students a stage to perform original poems crafted during the residency, with each piece rooted in their relationship to Martin County and their sense of place.
More than 100 students wrote original poems, all of which will soon be published in a hard-copy book.
With guidance from Maynard and Lawson, the residency facilitators forged connections across departments to build an immersive, schoolwide celebration.
Elizabeth Traylor’s advanced art students created a full gallery of original artwork and designed the stage backdrop. In the culinary department, students in Nicole Hinkle’s class prepared a traditional soup-beans-and-cornbread meal for attendees.
The collaborative effort continued behind the scenes.
Lance Tackett’s JAG students managed sound, and Boo Newsome’s students constructed a themed photo backdrop. Meanwhile, students from Dexter Kidd’s band and music classes filled the auditorium with vocal and instrumental performances.
Old-time music also took center stage. Several student groups performed traditional Appalachian songs on banjo, fiddle, dulcimer and guitar. This followed their participation in pop-in sessions by Stidham Old Time Music Association.
The nonprofit, based in James E Webb Musical Repair & Sales in Tomahawk and led by third-generation owner and Martin County native Jim Webb, is piloting a “pick and bow” music program to provide students with opportunities to learn traditional music deeply rooted in the region.
The Open Mic headliners, Violet & the Newsroom, are an old-time band formed at Morehead School of Traditional Music and composed of teachers connected to the program. Their performance became a highlight of the night.
“Their act had students singing and dancing along to songs passed down from these mountains,” program facilitator Lauren Traitz of Kentucky State University said. “Students were so excited to learn more from the artist teachers.”
The showcase drew families from across Martin County to support the high schoolers as they shared their talents and stories.
Madison Mooney, facilitator with the Livelihood Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), described Stories of Place as “a way that we match each other’s energy by showing the next generation the importance of where you are from through the art of storytelling, poetry, art and music.”
This year marks Mooney’s fifth as a residency facilitator, a role she said remains one of her most fulfilling with LiKEN. She and Traitz join Dr. Karen Rignall, program lead from the University of Kentucky, in thanking “all of the amazing students, even those who just came to support their friends.”
“I hope this event forever holds a special place in your heart,” Mooney added.
Facilitators say they hope the program will be one of many opportunities to celebrate Martin County youth and the stories they carry.
Stories of Place will continue at Martin County High School with another residency planned for the spring.
(Editor’s note: LiKEN submitted the photos accompanying this story.)
