Center for Appalachian Studies and Services

College of Arts and Sciences

Center for Appalachian Studies and Services

Promote a deeper understanding of Appalachia

Rhododendron Gardens Roan Mountain

Welcome to the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, one of Tennessee's Distinguished Centers of Excellence.

 

The mission of the Center is to promote a deeper understanding of Appalachia and to serve the region through research, education, preservation, and community engagement. The Center is part of the Department of Appalachian Studies and consists of three components:

REGIONAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE

The Regional Resources Institute (RRI) is the administrative arm of the Center. It oversees all aspects of governance and facilitates partnerships with ETSU departments and with community organizations to promote research about and service to the Appalachian region. The Center administers long-term grant projects including the Appalachian Teaching Project and the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Scientific Exploration of Tennessee Heritage. For more than 30 years, the RRI published Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, which is soon relaunching as Appalachian Places, an online publication. 

ARCHIVES OF APPALACHIA

The Archives of Appalachia is one of the premier institutions that collects the written words, images, and sounds that document life in southern Appalachia. The Archives' collections contain two miles of rare manuscripts, 250,000 photographs, 90,000 audio and moving image recordings, and 14,000 books. More than 2,000 visitors from ETSU and around the globe utilize our collections each year for scholarly and creative projects. Engaging students, faculty, scholars and the community, it advances lifelong learning and cultural understanding.

REECE MUSEUM

The Reece Museum is an art and history museum with a diverse collection, including original art, prints, textiles, and artifacts. Named for U.S. Congressman B. Carroll Reece and formally dedicated in 1965, the Reece is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (one of thirteen such museums in Tennessee). It houses three galleries for temporary exhibits, along with a multipurpose space. The Reece hosts a wide range of exhibits, recent examples of which include:

  • The World Through a Woman's Eyes
  • The Shoreline Project
  • The AIDS Quilt
  • EPIDEMIC
  • A Place for All People
  • The Overmountain Weaver's Guild

 

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