In mid-December, we held our second Winter Burrow Literary & Arts Conference on campus.
Last year, we began Winter Burrow as a way to bring various community circles together. We wanted to bring our artists, musicians, writers, and readers together, and also bring in educators and students with interest in Appalachian studies, culture, and history. We took inspiration from many great conferences throughout the region including the Appalachian Studies Association conference, the Mildred Haun conference, the James Agee literary arts festival, and more.
This year’s Verna Mae Slone keynote was writer, artist, and activist Claudia Love Mair. She asked us very important questions, like when did we first know we were artists and writers, what has served as obstacles for our creative lives, and how have we triumphed and come back to ourselves. Amy Le Ann Richardson was the featured writer and she spoke about responding to the world around us like the climate crisis, through our creativity. And Tyler Barrett was our featured artist, and he spoke about his visual art and photography, and how it’s a way to bring our internal world out into the public, and also a way to internalize, process, and remember experiences.
Other discussions spanned from healthcare in Appalachia to the concept of masculinity and how to evolve it, there were classes of mask painting and writing from old family photos, and there were readings and performances of music, songs, poetry, nonfiction, and more. Attendees were treated to a square dance and also were able to sell their books, cd’s, crafts, and art (and shop!) at our marketplace.
One highlight was a session led by the Ironwood Writers Studio students and alumni. The young writers are high school or college age and they talked about the Settlement School’s week-long writing retreat on campus and why it’s so important for young creatives in our region. And then they each performed a piece of their original writing. After Winter Burrow was over, they stayed on campus for another two days for a retreat and reunion where they had craft and prompt sessions with Literary Arts Director Melissa Helton, worked with writer Clint Waters, and spent time with guest writers Keith Stewart and Jordan Whitaker. They also had two art sessions with our new Arts & Crafts Educator Maria Risner.
We look forward to this event continuing to bring people together at the Settlement School during early December before the holidays, bringing light and community into an otherwise quiet season on campus.
