Cherokee exhibition to open at WCU
Image of a panel in the CLCE. Basket weave design by Ramona Lossie.
Recognizing the collaborators and contributors of the “Cherokee Language & Culture Exhibition,” a special reception for the showcase will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
A project supported in part by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, this new permanent interpretive exhibition to be installed throughout the lobby and Star Atrium of Bardo Arts Center prompts visitors to learn more about the Cherokee-inspired design elements throughout the building, recognize this campus as a Cherokee place and leave with a fuller understanding of the vibrant, living culture of Cherokee people.
A collaboration between WCU and the citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), this bilingual exhibition featuring text in the Cherokee syllabary and English highlights the vitality of the Cherokee language and the creativity of artists and knowledge keepers shaping its future.
The BAC opened in 2005 with bilingual signage in Cherokee syllabary and English throughout the building. The building’s original Cherokee syllabary, translated by Myrtle Driver, Beloved Woman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was the seed that inspired this project.
“It’s critical that we have accurate and authentic information written and created from a Cherokee perspective,” said BAC Executive Director Denise Drury Homewood. “That helps people understand why this bilingual signage in Cherokee syllabary and English and Cherokee inspired design elements are featured throughout the building.”
Recognizing the deep cultural significance of this syllabary and the other Cherokee-inspired design elements in the building, Homewood invited a group of individuals to consider the creation of an exhibition to more visibly explain these concepts to the public.
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“As someone who is not a Native American, I felt it was critical to reach out and connect with experts and culture keepers who are citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” Haywood noted. “To make sure their voices were heard and feedback was incorporated in the creation of this project early on. Sky Sampson, Brett Riggs and Sara Snyder Hopkins on our project team helped us connect with these experts.”
Members included citizens of the EBCI, faculty and staff from WCU and other community leaders. The team reached out to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, which provided an initial planning grant to begin shaping the project. During the planning process, the team contracted with HW Exhibits, a firm experienced in permanent exhibitions with Tribal Nations, to facilitate a concept plan for the exhibition.
Through these conversations, EBCI citizens emphasized that the project should expand beyond the original translations to include additional information sharing, cultural practices and traditions related to the arts. In response to this feedback, the project broadened in scope and the final exhibition includes content from EBCI authors, highlights the work of EBCI artists and is translated into Cherokee syllabary. The design, fabrication and installation of the exhibition project is supported in part through a large grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
This project is the culmination of several years of collaboration between WCU and citizens of the EBCI. Support for this exhibition comes from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts, Bardo Arts Center and the WCU Office of the Chancellor.
“Through the work of dozens of people across our communities over eight years, and with the foundational support of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and WCU,” Homewood said. “We’ve been able to incorporate Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voices into content development and physical design of the exhibition to ensure these voices are permanently and prominently represented in this space.”
Bardo Arts Center
A bastion of arts and culture in Western North Carolina, the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee will host the following events this fall:
Amythyst Kiah. Kevin King photo
• “Echoes Across the Smokies: A Night of Strings, Stories & Songs” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the BAC Performance Hall.
This soulful celebration brings the Smokies to life through the spirited tunes of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) and Sylva Old Time Jam Band, the captivating stories of Cherokee storyteller Kathi Littlejohn and the harmonies of the Cherokee Language Repertory Choir.
The evening crescendos with the powerful voice of Grammy-nominated artist and East Tennessee native Amythyst Kiah, whose music bridges tradition and
modern roots.
For more information, visit arts.wcu.edu/echoes-2.
• “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition 2025” will be on display Nov. 4 through Dec. 5.
The showcase highlights students’ comprehensive course of study at Western Carolina University and serves as a preface to their forthcoming careers as professional artists. The studio art portion of this exhibition can be viewed inside the WCU Fine Art Museum.
The exhibition will include works from Tyler Carlson, Kylie Chatham, Robin Delp, Sally Drumheller, Casey Earnhart, Chey Ellis, Riley Elaine, Jonah Gillen, Morgan Harshaw, Natasha Lambert, Diana Limbo, AJ Martin, Charleston Reagan, Lyn Rivenbark, Mac Smith, Emma Swanson and Daniel Velazquez Perez.
A special reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. This event will include a gallery talk, along with light appetizers and beverages. Free parking is available.
The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, visit arts.wcu.edu/bfa-25.
Want to go?
The reception for the “Cherokee Language & Culture Exhibition” will be held from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Star Atrium at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
In regards to the reception, welcome remarks will be at 4:45 p.m. Light appetizers and refreshments will be provided.
Mock-up of panels in the CLCE at the Bardo Arts Center. Courtesy of WCU
Standard BAC hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you have any questions, please call 828.227.ARTS.
For more information, visit arts.wcu.edu/language-culture.
