shauna caldwell

In honor of the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition’s (AMPC) 20th Anniversary, University Recreation, in partnership with the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State and Virtual Blue Ridge, will be hosting six Appalachian photographers in this year’s anniversary exhibition.

Celebrating the 20-year history of the exhibition, artists Jessica Maceda, Byron Tenesaca-Guaman, and Alicia Green have been welcomed back to the AMPC to share their work. Jessica Maceda will share images, spanning more than a decade, documenting the landscapes of the area through the lens of a local community member. Byron Tenesaca-Guaman’s work highlights the “system of reciprocity that exists between humans and the mountains” in his homes of an ancestral community in the Ecuadorian Andes and the Cherokee Mountains of Southern Appalachia. Through candid portraits and action photography, Alicia Green’s work uplifts the local skater scene.

Representing the future possibilities of the competition and expanding Appalachian narratives, artists Raymond Thompson Jr., Ant M. Lobo, and Wendy Ewald have been invited to share their work. In his series, Appalachian Ghosts, Raymond Thompson Jr. “recontextualizes and re-presents archival photographs” documenting the construction of Hawks Nest Tunnel, built “to divert the New River near Fayetteville, WV,” and brings forth the importance of African-American narratives. Ant M. Lobo’s work shares intimate photographs and writings that share their experience revisiting Black Mountain College’s Lake Eden campus. Artist and educator Wendy Ewald will be exhibiting images from her series, Portraits and Dreams, which offers a unique methodology for empowering communities to tell their own stories through work created by her students in Letcher County, KY.

20th Anniversary Appalachian Mountain Photography Celebration

Saturday, April 1, 2023 

12:00 - 1:00pm. Celebrating Appalachian Photography panel discussion with exhibiting artists Raymond Thompson Jr., Ant M Lobo-Ladd, Byron Tenesaca, and Alicia Green

1:30 - 3:00pm. Portfolio Walkthrough with participants from the 18-19th Annual AMPC

3:00 - 4:00pm. Portraits and Dreams by Wendy Ewarld documentary screening - Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl5KgVCsSrc

4:00 - 6:00pm. - AMPC Private Reception

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store. Additional support comes from Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Footsloggers Outfitters, Peabody’s, Stickboy Bread and Smoky Mountain Living.

The Turchin Center is located at 423 West King Street in Boone. Hours are 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Tues. - Thurs. and Saturday, and noon - 8 p.m., on Friday. The Center is closed Sunday and Monday and observes all university holidays. Admission is always free, although donations are gratefully accepted. For general inquiries, to be added to the mailing or e-news list, to obtain donor program details or to schedule a tour, call 828-262-3017, e-mail turchincenter@appstate.edu or visit tcva.org. Follow the Turchin on Facebook and Instagram @TurchinCenter.