Friends of Mountain History Hosts Regional Heritage Initiative

Friends of Mountain History (FOMH), a nonprofit organization supporting museums, historic sites and cultural organizations in Western North Carolina will host their annual Heritage Resources Program and the 2006-2007 Themed Exhibit Program. Both events will take place on Tuesday September 26th, 2006. The Resources Program will take place at UNC-Asheville, Owen Conference Center, starting at 9:30 with the Museums In Partnership meeting. Guest speaker, Denise Ryan of Fire Star speaking will present “How to be an Effective Board Member”, geared to nonprofit board members. Ms. Ryan is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of South Carolina with a master’s degree in business and an undergraduate degree in art history. She has spoken for Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses. Many business people serve on boards of nonprofits, but don’t receive adequate training. They want to serve well, but often don’t know exactly what is expected of them. Attendees will learn why nonprofit boards exist, the ten basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards, the difference in the roles of board and staff, and the legal aspects of board service. Other presenters will include Teresa Watts, Director of Heritage Tourism & Community Development, NC Department of Commerce; Keith Hardison, Director of NC Historic Sites; and Hillary Perez, NC ECHO, NC Department of Cultural Resources. Regional updates from Friends of Mountain History, Museum In Partnership, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and Together We Read will round out the program. Friends of Mountain History retiring Board members, Gina Phillips of Spruce Pine, James Bradley of Cherokee, Bass Hyatt of Brasstown and Henry Robinson of Asheville will be recognized.

The evening kick-off event will highlight this year’s Themed Exhibit Program “Oh, Lord, Remember Me”! People of Faiths: Rites and Rituals in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A coffee and dessert reception will be held at the Asheville Area Arts Council followed by the celebration event at Diana Wortham Theatre featuring storyteller and folk singer, Laura Boosinger and guest speaker Cecilia Budd Grimes, author of What It Means To Be Southern. The Friends of Mountain History and Museum In Partnership banner will be unveiled and the 2006-2007 Museum Guide will be distributed. The Museum Guide features sixty –three regional museums representing the Friends of Mountain History twenty-five county service area. Twenty-six museums will participate in the “Oh, Lord, Remember Me”! program with exhibits and programs covering the many aspects of faith-based people in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The exhibit will launch on September 26th and run through August of 2007, giving museums a year-long opportunity for multiple programs and events. Together We Read will also partner in the theme by offering events related to their current book, Saints at the River, by regional author Ron Rash.

The Friends of Mountain History website features a list of participating museums and their related topics, as well as the registration form for the one-day event. Registration is required for lunch at UNC-Asheville and is open to all museums, historic sites and heritage related organizations and their board members. All programs are free and the evening celebration at Diana Wortham Theatre is open to the public. For more information contact Kaye Myers at 828-687-7234.