Appalachian Instruments

ON DISPLAY

August 15, 2024 - Jan 12, 2026

OPENING EVENT

Heritage Day: August 23, from 10 AM - 3 PM

Music is an integral part of the culture of the Appalachian region and the New River Valley has long been one of the greatest music-making areas of the South. When we consider the contributions made to music, the painstaking hours of work that go into crafting the instruments the musicians play are often forgotten. Music is only made when there is both an instrument and a musician. Stringed instruments are particularly difficult to craft. The artisans who make stringed instruments must make each instrument by hand for them to be of great quality.

Traditional Appalachian instruments include fiddles, banjos, bass, guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers. The musical notes created by these instruments indeed form the sounds of Appalachian culture. Whether through old-time songs, bluegrass, folk, gospel, or country music, the music of this region has formed a lasting appreciation and fame all around the globe. Without the handcrafted string instruments made by these artisans, the distinct iconic sounds of Appalachian stringbands would not exist.

This exhibit and programming is possible due to a grant from Virginia Humanities.