Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services
Welcome to the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, one of Tennessee's Distinguished Centers of Excellence.
The mission of the Center of Excellence is to promote a deeper understanding of Appalachia and to serve the region through research, education, preservation, and community engagement. The Center is part of the Department of Appalachian Studies and consists of four components:
REGIONAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE
The Regional Resources Institute (RRI) is the administrative and outreach arm of the Center. It oversees all aspects of governance and facilitates partnerships with ETSU departments and with community organizations to promote research about and service to the Appalachian region. The Center administers a number of major grant projects, including the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (formerly called the Appalachian Teaching Project) funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Tennessee Governor’s School for Tennessee History and Environmental Studies, and the Encyclopedia of Appalachia project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The RRI publishes an online magazine, Appalachian Places: Stories from the Highlands, which publishes a wide range of content related to the Appalachian region and other mountain regions around the world. The Institute also provides many outreach services to support sustainable community development across the region.
ARCHIVES OF APPALACHIA
The Archives of Appalachia is one of the premier institutions that collects the written words, images, and sounds that document life in southern Appalachia. The Archives' collections contain two miles of rare manuscripts, 250,000 photographs, 90,000 audio and moving image recordings, and 14,000 books. More than 2,000 visitors from ETSU and around the globe utilize our collections each year for scholarly and creative projects. Engaging students, faculty, scholars and the community, it advances lifelong learning and cultural understanding.
B. CARROLL REECE MUSEUM
The Reece Museum is an art and history museum with a diverse collection, including original art, prints, textiles, and artifacts. Named for U.S. Congressman B. Carroll Reece and formally dedicated in 1965, the Reece is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and was one of the first museums in the state to earn that distinction. The Museum offers many services to the local community, including support for local museums and heritage sites, collecting local history, and programs such as: SPARK!, an ongoing interactive experience for people living with cognitive impairment and their caregivers, presented in partnership with Alzheimer’s Tennessee; summer Renaissance Teen Camp; and support for the Center’s summer Governor’s School for Tennessee History and Environmental Studies. that celebrate the rich history and culture of Appalachia, that shed light on current challenges facing the region, that enrich local culture, and that support the educational goals and regional stewardship mission of the University. Recent examples include:
- A Place for All People. A traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution, celebrating the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- Ballet in Appalachia: 75 Years of Bristol Ballet. Part of the museum’s “Tennessee Music Pathways” series, exploring the rich history of the Bristol Ballet.
- Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race. A traveling exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum revealing some of terrible practices of the Nazi regime during the Holocaust. Presented by the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.
- EPIDEMIC: An Exhibition by Dr. Eric Avery and Adam DelMarcelle. An examination of the devastating opioid crisis in Appalachia and across the United States.
- Johnson City: Then and Now. Part of the Johnson City Sesquicentennial Celebration, this exhibition featured historic photographs and postcards of Johnson City’s most iconic landmarks.
- Overmountain Weavers Guild. Works by weavers from southwest Virginia, western North Carolina, and northeast Tennessee, with weekly demonstrations.
- Revisiting World War I: One Hundred Years Later. An exploration of local ties to the First World War, including the roles of area veterans, presented in collaboration with the Museum at Mountain Home.
- Suffrage in Southern Appalachia. Part of the celebration the centennial of woman suffrage, this exhibit told the story through the lens of women who led the movement in Johnson City.
- Tangibility of Faith: Art and Religion in Appalachia and Tennessee. A celebration of some of the many expressions of faith in the Southern Appalachian region.
INSTITUTE FOR APPALACHIAN MUSIC AND CULTURE
The Institute for Appalachian Music and Culture was formed to highlight, preserve,
and extend the rich and diverse music and cultural heritage of the unique Appalachian
mountain region. The Institute encourages innovative research, scholarship, creative
activity, and teaching that counters pervasive stereotypes about Appalachia, while
revealing and celebrating the diverse cultures and musics of the region. The Institute
also works to engage the University with communities in the region, stimulating the
study and appreciation of Appalachian music and culture through fieldwork, public
events, conferences, seminars, and other outreach programs, such as the annual String
Band Summit.