Staff

2010 Appalachian Family Folk Week Staff:

Harvey Amburgey is a woodcarver from Knott County, KY. He carves spoons, bowls, decorative fruit and animals. He loves sharing his skills with the young and more mature individuals who attend the workshop. His sessions are always very well attended.

Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly present delightful programs of traditional and Celtic music blending vocal harmonies using a variety of instruments including guitar, dulcimer, mandolin, harmonica, banjo, bones, tin whistle, spoons and limberjacks. They have several recordings and credit Family Folk Week as a major influence on their music.

Chris Bischoff has been part of Family Folk Week off and on since he was a teenager. A librarian by trade, he is a great dance caller and clogger. He is in demand throughout the state of Kentucky and beyond for his skills as a dance caller.

Henrietta Calhoun is one of the most talented crafts people in the hills of eastern Kentucky. She makes dolls, quilts and other crafts. She works in Hindman Settlement School’s Marie Stewart Museum & Crafts Shop.

Sara Grey is a fine American singer, banjo player and song collector, who is
immersed in the song traditions of both sides of the Atlantic. She lived in Scotland for 28 years and has traveled extensively in the U.S. and Canada, performing and participating in workshops.

John Haywood is an award-winning artist and banjo player from Floyd County, KY.  He learned to play the banjo from George Gibson of Knott County and is proficient in the different styles of the area. He lives on the Gibson Farm with his wife and daughters.

Rich Kirby is a multi-talented musician and student of traditional music. He has worked at Appalshop in Whitesburg, KY for over 30 years and has been part of Family Folk Week for 20 years or more. He also takes care of the sound during the week.

Jim & Ada McCown are from Pike County, KY. They are two of the finest musicians in the hills of eastern Kentucky. They have played with a number of groups over the years, but their great love is playing and teaching old-time music.

Ron Pen is a scholar and performer of music of the Southern Appalachian region. He is a founding member of the Appalachian Association of Sacred Harp Singers and a longtime fiddler. He has been part of Family Folk Week for a quarter of a century.

Mary Reed is a master cornshuck doll and flower artist from Estill Couny, KY. For over 30 years she has produced, taught and demonstrated her art forms at numerous shows, schools and festivals sharing this traditional Appalachian folk art.

Robin Reed is a master basket maker from Estill County, KY. He makes his baskets by harvesting the bark from poplar, hickory and willow trees. He has demonstrated making baskets from the tree to finished basket at folklife festivals in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia.

Sparky & Rhonda Rucker deliver toe-tapping music spiced with humor, history and tall tales! Their repertoire consists of original songs, blues, spirituals, Southern Appalachian traditional songs and African American ballads. Their music has been prominently featured on America’s National Public Radio and television.

Lee Sexton is a legendary banjo player from Letcher County, KY. He is a retired coal miner and has traveled throughout the United States sharing his unique style of music. He has been a part of Family Folk Week for more than 25 years.

Deborah Thompson has a diverse repertoire that includes singing ballads and other traditional songs, playing the guitar and banjo, and calling dances. She is a wonderful teacher and is very knowledgeable about the music of the Appalachian region.

Michael Ware is a master potter from Knott County, KY. He recently had a
30-year exhibition of his work at the Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman. He is an assistant professor of art at Alice Lloyd College and is a member of the Settlement family.

Al & Alice White are exceptional musicians and singers. Alice was a member of the nationally known McLain Family Band for years and will be in charge of the morning singing. Al plays a number of instruments and teaches string instrument classes at Berea College.

Randy Wilson, Folk Arts Education Director at the Hindman Settlement School, has worked as a folk artist in the schools of Eastern Kentucky for more than 20 years. He plays several stringed instruments including the dulcimer, banjo, guitar and autoharp.  He is known throughout the region for his dance calling and storytelling.