About this Episode:
We are joined by our special guest, Pam Meister, Director of the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University, she has an impressive resume working with elite museums and historical organizations such as the Atlanta History Center, the Charlotte Museum of History, and the Upcountry History Museum in high-level management positions, as well as a long career at WCU in various leadership roles.
Pam is well known for her work with one of the most popular and largest Heritage festivals in the Southeast, Mountain Heritage Day, held annually in late September at WCU.
In this episode, Joseph and Pam discuss many fascinating stories about the Western North Carolina Heritage Center.
Connect with Pam:
Connect with our host Joseph Franklyn McElroy:
Check out our Social Media:
SHOW NOTES:
SEGMENT 1
Joseph opens up with the usual show intro and after the sponsored message, introduces the guest, Pam Meister. They get into the origin of Mountain Heritage Day before Joseph starts off the interview by asking Pam if she got into her dream of being in the theater. She talks about how she got to see rehearsals, behind the scenes, and her first Broadway musical then talks about how instead of wanting to be a performer, she always wanted to be a producer of sorts. She loved the idea of costume designing, art directing, and stage managing more than the thought of dancing and acting on stage. Joseph asks what Pam’s career was looking like right out of college, and she depicts her first year out of college working as the navy merchandise manager and a helper on Saturday Night Live.
SEGMENT 2
The show comes back to Pam’s museum career and how she got into it. Pam describes her desire to expand her career from running the stage to running the entire theater, so she got in contact with the University of Georgia to learn how to run theaters. Pam got an offer to manage an outdoor festival and this got her connected to multiple museums. She quit her job at a dance company and then got an offer to work in a museum and ended becoming the executive director of that museum. Pam then describes what it takes to work at a museum, the passion to teach and celebrate history, and they want to preserve culture were the main parts in her opinion. Pam gets another offer to open a museum, and she talks about trying to learn the technology that came with it in quick time before it opened.
SEGMENT 3
After the break, Pam’s job at the Western North Carolina Heritage Center is brought up, and she describes getting a phone call from the director at the time who offered her a job to teach kids and create programs. She accepted and worked in this position before becoming the director. Joseph exclaims that he is impressed with the cultural diversity Mountain Heritage Day possesses. Pam describes how the festival wanted to educate on African Americans, Cherokee, and more cultures of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The goal of the Heritage Center is to build bridges and celebrate local cultures.
SEGMENT 4
After the final break, they get into some of Pam’s upcoming projects involving new programs and exhibits and digitizing over a thousand photographs of a famous photographer. They finish off the episode with the future of the heritage center, what to expect from it, and where to find it.
TRANSCRIPT
00:03:15.300 –> 00:03:18.330 Joseph McElroy: howdy thanks for joining us this week episode
00:03:18.360 –> 00:03:26.850 Joseph McElroy: of the gateway to the smokies this podcast about America’s most visited National Park.
00:03:27.180 –> 00:03:39.330 Joseph McElroy: The great smoky mountains national park and surrounding towns, this area is filled with ancient natural beauty and deep storied history and rich mountain cultures that we explore with the weekly episode.
00:03:39.810 –> 00:03:57.570 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also a deep roots in these mountains my family is living the great smokies for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture. today’s podcast is about Western Carolina University’s mountain heritage Center.
00:03:58.650 –> 00:04:01.140 Joseph McElroy: But first let’s talk about our sponsors.
00:04:02.280 –> 00:04:12.960 Joseph McElroy: So imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past, yet modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel a place for adventure and for relaxation.
00:04:13.530 –> 00:04:22.800 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catches on fire and needs to be accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.
00:04:23.220 –> 00:04:40.110 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of the old-time music and world cultural sounds imagine a place with the amenities of an old country and there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure start with where you stay.
00:04:41.820 –> 00:04:48.360 Joseph McElroy: smokiesadventures.com plural on the smokies singular on the adventure.
00:04:48.840 –> 00:04:57.030 Joseph McElroy: Information and listings about the smokies you have hiking and wedding venues books trail maps and resources.
00:04:57.480 –> 00:05:08.040 Joseph McElroy: And guides for hiking in the mountains, the emphasis of the smokies adventurous outdoor recreation outdoor life events and adventures long providing information on lodging.
00:05:08.310 –> 00:05:15.900 Joseph McElroy: Family entertainment events conventions honeymoons in more it’s going to become the leading information portal of the smoky mountains.
00:05:18.300 –> 00:05:26.910 Joseph McElroy: a couple of several upcoming events for the Meadowlark motel that you might be wanting to be aware of is we’re gonna have an Appalachian thanksgiving meal on
00:05:28.350 –> 00:05:38.520 Joseph McElroy: thanksgiving featuring traditional American fare but also having things like game meat Chilean butternut squash stuffed with vegetarian entrees.
00:05:39.840 –> 00:05:55.140 Joseph McElroy: You know coconut cream pie banana pudding you know elderberry cranberry sauce all sorts of good stuff we’re also going to have a campfire Christmas before Christmas on December 18 and then coming up on January 25.
00:05:55.800 –> 00:06:13.050 Joseph McElroy: Week-long celebration leading to a dinner on January 25 celebrating the Scottish poet Robert Burns and the traditional Robert Burns celebration, which is the event of a revolving rocket is if I can say so myself and not to be missed.
00:06:14.580 –> 00:06:15.270 Joseph McElroy: So.
00:06:19.800 –> 00:06:30.390 Joseph McElroy: our guest today is Pam Meister all right, who is the director of the Western Carolina mountain heritage Center in
00:06:30.870 –> 00:06:36.120 Joseph McElroy: Western Carolina University Kellaway North Carolina she is has a long history as a
00:06:36.870 –> 00:06:56.130 Joseph McElroy: As the top of organizations have multiple museums and colleges in the southeast she’s also one of the co-founders of the mountain heritage day which usually ends of the last week of September, which is one of the southeast top premier music and heritage events Hello Pam.
00:06:57.390 –> 00:06:58.050 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I Joseph.
00:06:58.800 –> 00:07:04.230 Joseph McElroy: How are you doing, how did I do in that biocide somehow they erased the bio here, so I had to do it from memory.
00:07:05.310 –> 00:07:17.280 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: walks not bad, except that I was not the Co-founder of mountain heritage day actually started in 1974 with the inauguration.
00:07:18.030 –> 00:07:29.100 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: The new Chancellor, Harold cottoned Robinson, who was a proud native of a bandana North Carolina and decided that he didn’t just want a pokey old.
00:07:29.850 –> 00:07:41.430 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Academic procession to celebrate his inauguration as Chancellor he wanted a good old fashioned how down with Barbecue and square dancing and music.
00:07:43.470 –> 00:07:44.850 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: They decided to do it.
00:07:44.970 –> 00:07:50.220 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Ever after and the only year they ever missed since then was 2020.
00:07:50.790 –> 00:07:51.900 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow well.
00:07:53.790 –> 00:07:55.350 Joseph McElroy: 2020 whatever happened.
00:07:55.440 –> 00:07:59.250 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: yeah really, really, but yeah so I can’t claim to flight to.
00:08:00.870 –> 00:08:05.250 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: founding that one but boy I have really enjoyed working on it for the.
00:08:06.060 –> 00:08:09.270 Joseph McElroy: I just know I just claimed it for you so.
00:08:10.560 –> 00:08:13.110 Joseph McElroy: The part where you deny it, and then you can own it forever all right.
00:08:13.290 –> 00:08:13.740 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: All right.
00:08:15.990 –> 00:08:23.820 Joseph McElroy: So you grew up in Louisiana and then went to the College at the University of new New Orleans for you got a BA in theater.
00:08:24.300 –> 00:08:35.700 Joseph McElroy: And then undergraduate school at the University of Georgia, where you got an MFA in arts management, so let me add, I know you’re a museum professional but did you ever get to pursue your interest in theater.
00:08:36.300 –> 00:08:45.030 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Oh yeah absolutely I actually got serious about theatre, when I was 15 years old, and in New Orleans there was.
00:08:45.660 –> 00:08:56.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: a really good regional repertory theater you know, there was a set of regional theaters that were founded in the mid-70s and so.
00:08:57.030 –> 00:09:01.200 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: They had a teenage volunteer program and I was involved with that.
00:09:01.590 –> 00:09:10.710 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And we did you know any kind of work they threw at us and, in return, they, let us in on rehearsals and things like that, and so.
00:09:10.950 –> 00:09:21.150 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: got to see the workings of a fully professional theatre from behind the scenes very early and you know it was strange I was inspired with theater.
00:09:21.570 –> 00:09:34.710 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I remember vividly going to see my first broadway roadshow in New Orleans which was Man of La Mancha and oh man, you know the saying the impossible dream, and it was Jose Farrar.
00:09:34.740 –> 00:09:35.430 In that role.
00:09:36.840 –> 00:09:37.620 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: is like.
00:09:39.960 –> 00:09:52.560 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know I never really wanted to be up there on that stage singing my impulse was this theater stuff is really important, I want to make it happen, I think it was a born producer.
00:09:52.770 –> 00:10:11.070 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: So never you know was much you know, a performer and my career aspirations, when I was at university of Georgia, were to work as a stage manager and a theatrical designer and costumer and I really did that and.
00:10:11.790 –> 00:10:23.220 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: No both did pay jobs, actually, you know, one of the ways I made money when I was in college was working in the costume shop so I’m pretty good seamstress to this day, I must say.
00:10:24.450 –> 00:10:35.250 Joseph McElroy: We know I can I mean I started out doing some theater in Durham North Carolina and ended up doing some on the stage in Philly and I even got to do some performances in New York City way.
00:10:35.730 –> 00:10:44.010 Joseph McElroy: Today, well, I never was anything my claim to fame is I got to do performance and CBD bees and the kitchen sort of performance art sort of stuff but they’re pretty.
00:10:44.190 –> 00:10:46.350 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well that’s that sounds like lots of fun.
00:10:46.980 –> 00:10:55.680 Joseph McElroy: But you know, the biggest thing that I know is that a good stage manager is indispensable for production right it’s like.
00:10:56.820 –> 00:11:02.100 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: That organizational skills and that kind of make people do what you need them to do.
00:11:03.180 –> 00:11:08.670 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: really well in a lot of facets of the performing arts and also in the museum so since he’s
00:11:11.100 –> 00:11:16.950 Joseph McElroy: Be in business to if you don’t have that one person that coordinates all the traffic you just.
00:11:17.850 –> 00:11:23.160 Joseph McElroy: you’re just going nowhere, so what was your big first job out of college.
00:11:23.400 –> 00:11:23.730 hey.
00:11:25.050 –> 00:11:36.240 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: This is pretty funny I went to work for New Orleans has a pretty are did at the time, a pretty big military presence, I went to work for.
00:11:36.960 –> 00:11:46.950 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: The naval air station as their visual merchandising manager and again the design skills there, so I was in charge of.
00:11:47.580 –> 00:12:03.750 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Their post exchange all of their store decor and display, and there was a small print shop and I had an employee that I supervised, and so we did all of the store decoration and display and.
00:12:04.200 –> 00:12:14.910 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: We also did special events for the stores like Santa Claus and the Easter parade and stuff like that, so it was a pretty cool job and.
00:12:15.810 –> 00:12:30.270 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: A nice thing about it, too, is that they sent me to the Brooklyn navy yard to learn for like a week and a half course in the window display and you know.
00:12:30.270 –> 00:12:47.820 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Managing patient and all that kind of stuff and what happened with that were I also you know, this is what you do when you’re 21 years old right yeah so I have a day job I have an evening job where I’m moonlighting at a local dinner theater and remember this is like 1977.
00:12:48.000 –> 00:12:49.980 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: The inner theater’s work and.
00:12:51.030 –> 00:12:51.930 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And so i’m.
00:12:53.100 –> 00:13:06.630 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: The wardrobe person at the dinner theater the grapevine I hear that this you know kind of upstart TV show has decided to come to New Orleans during mardi gras.
00:13:07.470 –> 00:13:15.900 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: To do their first television special and they were looking for local crew members well that upstart TV show was Saturday night live.
00:13:17.490 –> 00:13:35.880 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: season and so it’s Mardi grass and here comes chevy chase and John Belushi and Lorraine Newman, the whole Radner and you know they’re like you know typical TV movie people the world’s going to stop for them will in New Orleans mardi gras don’t stop for anybody.
00:13:36.120 –> 00:13:44.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: know so they turn out for the local P, and I was hired you know to be a crew member, so I took vacation time.
00:13:44.430 –> 00:13:53.220 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: From my day job, and you know when to work for Saturday night live in my biggest attraction was being a native daughter.
00:13:53.430 –> 00:14:04.800 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I knew my way around the French Quarter, and of course, they block off the streets, where the mardi gras parades and they couldn’t get their equipment through and stuff and I could also take them to the nearest bar, which is very important to that group.
00:14:05.010 –> 00:14:05.940 Joseph McElroy: Oh, very important.
00:14:06.990 –> 00:14:10.320 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Anyway, we had a great time I loved.
00:14:10.410 –> 00:14:22.470 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Working with Saturday night live, and you know got be kind of chummy with them and they said well you know what’s next for you and I said Well, this is exciting I’m going to the Brooklyn navy yard to learn how to dress mannequins.
00:14:22.740 –> 00:14:26.400 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And they said hey we’ll give you tickets to our next show in New York.
00:14:28.440 –> 00:14:37.260 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: to New York, I had tickets to the Saturday night live show, and I remember the kinks were the band that played.
00:14:37.290 –> 00:14:38.850 Joseph McElroy: For that oh my God you got a great.
00:14:39.630 –> 00:14:44.070 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And so that was my best first year out of work experience.
00:14:44.100 –> 00:14:46.830 Joseph McElroy: that’s an incredible first year.
00:14:46.830 –> 00:14:57.480 Joseph McElroy: Experience everybody dreams, to have that kind of experience, you know SNL for this day is you know even from then on to this day it’s like one of the most impossible tickets to get right so.
00:14:58.140 –> 00:15:14.100 Joseph McElroy: yeah so that’s amazing and my wife got to play on Saturday night live and I had an impossible job to get tickets there, but I somehow managed to do it within a week’s notice, but it was like I had to pull in every favor string I got my life.
00:15:15.510 –> 00:15:17.340 Joseph McElroy: yeah side things in blood.
00:15:18.540 –> 00:15:28.290 Joseph McElroy: To get some tickets onto their so, but so you know we’re going to take a break right now right, and when we get into your museum professional.
00:15:29.550 –> 00:15:31.110 Joseph McElroy: Alright sounds good.
00:15:31.470 –> 00:15:32.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: sounds great.
00:17:48.210 –> 00:18:04.410 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Pam Meister so Pam when did you after SNL and after the Brooklyn navy yard when did you end up getting into the museum professional career.
00:18:05.220 –> 00:18:22.650 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well, it was a while later after that year and in New Orleans, I decided, I was going to blow pokey all New Orleans and go to Hollywood so I went there for a year and worked, but I really missed the south, and so, when did my way back and.
00:18:23.400 –> 00:18:32.040 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: ended up reconnecting with my mentors from University of New Orleans who had moved on to the University of Georgia, because by that time.
00:18:32.280 –> 00:18:40.920 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Working out in Los Angeles, and it was strange, you know movie capital of the world, I worked in live theater the entire year I was there and.
00:18:41.520 –> 00:18:51.870 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: When I was doing that you know, looking around at the theater I was working in and going, you know I’d really like to run this theater I bet I could run this theater and not just the stage.
00:18:53.190 –> 00:19:05.220 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: wonder how I could do that maybe there’s a college program that would teach me to do that, so I was checking out colleges and you know talking to them about, but you know this was the dark ages and there were very few.
00:19:06.210 –> 00:19:09.630 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know theater management program arts management programs.
00:19:10.260 –> 00:19:24.780 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: So I was back in New Orleans and like said reconnecting with my mentors who had moved on to Georgia and they said, well, what are you up to you, and I said I’m trying to find a college program where I could learn to run theaters and they said to pay on guessing what we want.
00:19:25.470 –> 00:19:36.690 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: A program like that here at the University of Georgia and basically we need a guinea pig how’d you like to come on you can be a graduate assistant, and you know will pay for your education.
00:19:37.020 –> 00:19:37.980 Joseph McElroy: And suck.
00:19:39.210 –> 00:19:39.660 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: A lot.
00:19:42.420 –> 00:19:50.220 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: So I went to the University of New Orleans and did that MFA which included.
00:19:50.940 –> 00:19:51.540 Joseph McElroy: George right.
00:19:51.630 –> 00:20:03.090 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: internship at the alliance theatre in Atlanta, and you know got to use my stage management skills and things like that, basically, worked all over the place.
00:20:04.350 –> 00:20:19.140 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And when he graduated I had amongst the things I’ve done at the University of Georgia was taken a tutorial about grants writing and wrote a grant to the National Endowment for the arts basically as practice.
00:20:19.770 –> 00:20:31.530 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: For they had at that point in time an arts management fellowship program and I was finishing up my graduate career in Italy because I had a studies abroad program.
00:20:31.890 –> 00:20:41.850 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And they wanted theatre components, and so I was able to stage manager for an Italian theatre company and Cortana Italy.
00:20:43.350 –> 00:20:51.420 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: back from that and boom, there was a letter from the National Endowment for the arts saying we tried to get hold of you, but we were told you in Europe.
00:20:52.350 –> 00:21:05.280 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You want to fellowship and so, once again, you know Pam goes yeah I would love to do that, so, then I went to Washington DC and spent the year with the National Endowment for the arts, which was really neat.
00:21:06.750 –> 00:21:07.230 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: and
00:21:08.520 –> 00:21:24.840 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: How that year for the first time are near North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms was attempting to abolish National Endowment for the arts, so I thought you know, maybe it’s time to move on and get a job let’s see what we can do.
00:21:26.040 –> 00:21:48.630 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: ended up back in Atlanta through connections I’ve made with the alliance managing a modern dance company the Carl Ratcliffe dance theater so I did that from 1981 to 1985 and managing modern dance company in Atlanta which back in the early 80s was still pretty conservative place.
00:21:49.890 –> 00:22:04.500 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: A kind of a burnout job, and so, when my old buddies at the University of Georgia called and said guess what Pam we’re going down to Jekyll island GA to run an outdoor musical comedy festival how’d you like to come over.
00:22:06.270 –> 00:22:16.830 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Here, once again, you know that can you, is there a thread in this, I am always the one people offer me these crazy propositions and I always say yes.
00:22:18.750 –> 00:22:19.080 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: So.
00:22:19.350 –> 00:22:20.640 Joseph McElroy: you’re very good at improv.
00:22:20.910 –> 00:22:21.360 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: let’s go.
00:22:23.910 –> 00:22:38.820 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: and run and run and outdoor company and It so happened that the theater you know Jekyll island has a national historic landmark district, it was owned by a group of ultra-rich people.
00:22:39.720 –> 00:22:46.680 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know, William Rockefeller Joseph Pulitzer JP Morgan people like that, with these little cottages there.
00:22:47.460 –> 00:22:57.570 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And so the actors, for the company or house in one of the historic buildings, and so one of the things I was in charge of.
00:22:57.960 –> 00:23:09.060 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Keeping this historic building pristine and not letting the actors mess it up, and so I became had a closing cordial relationship with the museum director there.
00:23:09.420 –> 00:23:18.180 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Who introduced me to a neighboring museum director who had a museum in way cross Georgia, which is like.
00:23:18.600 –> 00:23:22.530 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Not quite an hour’s drive inland from the coast there.
00:23:22.860 –> 00:23:32.370 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And at the end of the summer, because I had quit my job with the dance theater to take this and was just you know kind of in denial about oh God, I need to get my resume out what am I going to do.
00:23:32.730 –> 00:23:40.860 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And so we’ll Martin the way cross museum director said hey why don’t you come work for me and I said bill.
00:23:41.520 –> 00:23:51.240 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I love museums, but you know I’m a performing arts person I know anything about museums, he said, you have an MFA in arts management it’s those skills that.
00:23:51.990 –> 00:24:09.870 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I need and also your personality, I think the last person he worked with he didn’t get along too well, he said, I know you I know we can work together harmoniously come to a cross you’ve never lived in a really small town or worked in a museum, this will be fun guess what Pam said.
00:24:10.710 –> 00:24:12.300 Joseph McElroy: Yes, yes, yes.
00:24:14.130 –> 00:24:26.550 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And I know kind of pre looking at your questions that you were asking about the culture shock that I didn’t have any culture shock about coming to the mountains because I had come to the mountain so lie.
00:24:26.850 –> 00:24:30.180 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: But real culture shock in way cross Georgia.
00:24:31.440 –> 00:24:36.840 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: yeah yeah I mean that’s the kind of place where if they’re polite to you, they say.
00:24:37.950 –> 00:24:45.240 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And what is your church home and polite to you, they say, do you call Jesus Christ your savior.
00:24:47.850 –> 00:24:48.300 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Just like.
00:24:50.010 –> 00:24:54.240 Joseph McElroy: Very culture, I grew up sort of in that environment, I come from America is very small.
00:24:54.270 –> 00:24:55.470 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Town and air yeah.
00:24:55.680 –> 00:24:58.620 Joseph McElroy: I understand, but then so now you’re in the museum world.
00:25:00.600 –> 00:25:01.170 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: world.
00:25:01.200 –> 00:25:09.120 Joseph McElroy: And you go through a few places right and you ended up Executive Director of the South Carolina a country museum.
00:25:09.720 –> 00:25:14.820 Joseph McElroy: And you know what I found you co-created a presentation at this South Carolina federation and museums called.
00:25:15.120 –> 00:25:26.550 Joseph McElroy: leadership and museums directors words of wisdom it and the brief was to write a brief was the role of museum directors change as quickly as the prerequisites for the job.
00:25:26.970 –> 00:25:38.370 Joseph McElroy: So what What did you talk about that, and how is it different now, what is the what, what are the challenges you faced and skills and training that are that have served you well over the years.
00:25:39.120 –> 00:25:40.710 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well, you know.
00:25:42.270 –> 00:25:45.900 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: the world has, as you know, profoundly changed.
00:25:45.990 –> 00:25:47.070 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: The past.
00:25:47.130 –> 00:26:02.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: few years I mean it is a whole new ballpark right now, but when you get right down to it, you know, particularly I think people who work in museums and all people, not just directors, but.
00:26:02.460 –> 00:26:14.580 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I am firmly convinced that everybody who really resonates with museums and is happy working in them is a lifelong learner you have to go oh Goody I’m going to learn something new today.
00:26:15.660 –> 00:26:29.820 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I think everyone who works in a museum has to really believe in the museum’s mission which is usually some variation of.
00:26:30.810 –> 00:26:37.470 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: We want to preserve history and culture, we want to connect with our Community.
00:26:37.740 –> 00:26:49.350 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: We want to enrich and serve our community, and we want to educate, I think you know that’s all of that kind of thing we’re all just big old do-gooder do-gooders at heart.
00:26:49.770 –> 00:27:01.020 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And we’re fascinated with learning new things, and we want other people to be fascinated along with us now when you get to the museum director set of skills.
00:27:01.920 –> 00:27:16.500 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know you really there are some museum directors, maybe, who are not people persons, but mostly you have to be a connector you have to be a leader, you have to be a negotiator.
00:27:18.210 –> 00:27:20.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And you have to have a lot of energy.
00:27:22.830 –> 00:27:29.220 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know when you were also at the I think that I think there were a lot of things you are pre-staging in your time at the.
00:27:29.490 –> 00:27:36.120 Joseph McElroy: That museum, because you had some other quotes I thought I thought they were all interesting you were quoted online talking about.
00:27:36.780 –> 00:27:45.210 Joseph McElroy: South Carolina country show saying we want to show how engaging and entertaining and also thought-provoking a museum can be.
00:27:45.840 –> 00:27:54.150 Joseph McElroy: So I mean I think that’s a little different the or that early on, you know, going from showing knowledge to actually thinking about in terms of.
00:27:54.900 –> 00:28:08.040 Joseph McElroy: Engagement entertains and maybe in some cases if God exists that accessing this day that the spectacle, but whatever it’s were you making that and whether and how does that subsequently become more a part of your career.
00:28:08.520 –> 00:28:09.420 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well i’m.
00:28:10.620 –> 00:28:27.930 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: A little background about the upcountry history museum, I came to that museum five months before the museum was scheduled to open the building had been built for five years and then the people who were planning ahead sticker shock about what.
00:28:28.110 –> 00:28:42.630 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Professional design museum exhibits cost and it took them several years to get the money to put together a set of exhibits which they did in conjunction with historians, but not any practicing.
00:28:42.930 –> 00:28:57.420 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: museum professionals and so they’re getting close to opening and they kind of realized Oh, we need somebody to like hire staff and tell us how to operate this thing and.
00:28:58.200 –> 00:29:12.120 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know kind of activate the machine so enter tam with another crazy proposition and I thought you know I’ve never opened a museum before this would be an interesting challenge I didn’t sleep for about a year.
00:29:13.020 –> 00:29:26.310 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: But it was like a real fast track and I have something I’m not sure if this will show up, but I have a picture of the Atrium of this museum can use.
00:29:26.790 –> 00:29:32.100 Joseph McElroy: yeah we can get it, and if you send me the picture I’ll put it up on the website all right.
00:29:32.310 –> 00:29:39.900 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Okay, well, it is it’s the most dramatic museum you’ve ever seen it looks like a stage set, and actually.
00:29:40.110 –> 00:29:52.020 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: They hired this fabulous lighting design firm where all of the principles came out of the theater world, and so the lighting and the idea was that you walked into this Atrium.
00:29:52.320 –> 00:30:04.020 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And there would be a sound and light show that would take you in like three and a half minutes through 300 years of upcountry South Carolina history, it was.
00:30:05.640 –> 00:30:13.380 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: amazing, and so I came in in time to help that crew get that thing activated and it had.
00:30:14.100 –> 00:30:31.080 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Like couldn’t be computer activated and things like that, and so it had some built-in drama going on, also there were these really beautiful sculptural statues throughout the museum, the one in that particular picture there’s a pig drover coming around.
00:30:31.080 –> 00:30:34.950 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Because of wagon road those through that area.
00:30:36.210 –> 00:30:37.530 Joseph McElroy: So you really.
00:30:38.190 –> 00:30:45.210 Joseph McElroy: You really were able to manage that whole aspect of pre-making it engaging and.
00:30:45.270 –> 00:30:45.990 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: It really.
00:30:47.820 –> 00:30:48.840 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: spoke to me, but they.
00:30:49.590 –> 00:31:02.640 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: did a very good job of kind of forging a path through the whole thing, but what I did you know after you know learning in recruiting staff and all of us, learning how to work this technology.
00:31:03.540 –> 00:31:16.230 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: was some of the programmings, we did my favorite programming Joseph and you will love this too is this museum was just crying for a kid sleepover.
00:31:16.380 –> 00:31:18.030 Joseph McElroy: wow yes.
00:31:18.900 –> 00:31:20.730 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: ebbets came to life.
00:31:20.820 –> 00:31:22.110 Joseph McElroy: There you go I my kids.
00:31:22.260 –> 00:31:24.540 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: love that so we did that.
00:31:24.720 –> 00:31:25.500 wow.
00:31:26.640 –> 00:31:37.920 Joseph McElroy: We have to take a break, now that gives me a wonderful image and aspiration when we go away and when we come back we’re going to talk about the get into the mountain heritage stuff.
00:33:45.030 –> 00:33:54.690 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Pam Meister so Pam we got to fast forward you.
00:33:55.260 –> 00:34:13.140 Joseph McElroy: went through the Atlanta History Center and then you were the President and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of history, among many other wonderful accomplishments in the museum industry so when what question was asked of you that you said yes to the brought to you to Western Carolina University.
00:34:15.540 –> 00:34:20.610 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well, at that point in time, I was back in Atlanta.
00:34:21.780 –> 00:34:30.750 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: At the Atlanta History Center creating a new business model for the regional museum association.
00:34:31.560 –> 00:34:42.450 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And so, had an office at the Atlanta History Center and was in touch with people all over the southeast and had a phone call one day.
00:34:42.780 –> 00:34:54.810 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: From Scott Filial who was then the director of the mountain heritage Center and who I had known through professional development activities.
00:34:55.380 –> 00:35:04.260 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Through the southeastern museum’s Conference, so he called and said hi Pam how you doing and I said I’m doing great you know where we’re working on.
00:35:04.830 –> 00:35:14.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know, moving this regional association into the Atlanta History Center and working out a management agreement and it’s going really well.
00:35:14.430 –> 00:35:26.190 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And he said, well, I have a favor to ask of you, I really need to feel a key position and need your help, and I said sure no problem, you know s EMC has a great job board.
00:35:26.460 –> 00:35:33.990 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: We can get that out there, and you know send it out to you know music professionals in the 12 southeastern states and he said no.
00:35:34.680 –> 00:35:44.220 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I really want your personal connections, let me tell you about this job we are looking for a curator for their mountain heritage Center.
00:35:44.550 –> 00:35:50.490 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: and proceeds to tell me that it’s all about developing exhibits and working with students.
00:35:50.820 –> 00:35:58.200 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well, the last thing on my career wish list was to have a job, because by this point in time.
00:35:58.470 –> 00:36:08.460 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I had taught in several museum studies programs in Charlotte and in the Atlanta area, and I really loved working with students and, of course.
00:36:08.730 –> 00:36:23.730 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: At all the various museums, I worked, I had supervised intern so I really wanted to be involved with training the next generation as a big part of my job, instead of just sort of a sideline, and so I was thinking about it, and then I thought.
00:36:24.690 –> 00:36:27.870 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Maybe I shouldn’t say it to Scott and so.
00:36:28.560 –> 00:36:39.420 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: That I thought about it and then he said Oh well, shoot why now hey Scott, you know how would you what would you say, do you think it’s a conflict of interests, given that you know we know each other, we work together.
00:36:39.600 –> 00:36:45.090 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: If I applied for that job he’s like oh my God apply for it right now so.
00:36:47.370 –> 00:37:06.240 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I did so, I went to the mountain heritage Center not as Director, but as curator my idea being I’m going to leave all that boring administrative stuff behind and just do the stuff that I think is most fun in the world, creating exhibits in.
00:37:06.300 –> 00:37:06.990 In teaching.
00:37:08.940 –> 00:37:09.720 Joseph McElroy: To do stuff.
00:37:10.890 –> 00:37:14.670 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: That well that worked for a good four years.
00:37:15.420 –> 00:37:26.520 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And then Scott, unfortunately, had some health challenges and really felt that he needed to step down and just go back into full-time faculty work.
00:37:26.790 –> 00:37:38.400 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: So boom, I became interim director and I kept being an interim director in interim director and, finally, they said Pam we would really like to meet you.
00:37:42.450 –> 00:37:42.900 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: said.
00:37:43.860 –> 00:37:49.560 Joseph McElroy: So you the mound heritage Center puts on that we already talked about it, the mountain heritage Day, which was going on.
00:37:49.860 –> 00:37:51.030 Joseph McElroy: 74 so I guess.
00:37:51.030 –> 00:37:58.560 Joseph McElroy: You took the Mount Heritage Center took over that responsibility and it’s like well the top 20 events in the southeast with.
00:37:58.980 –> 00:38:15.510 Joseph McElroy: Live entertainment hundred 30 plus food and craft vendors tons of activities and kid stuff and performances and demonstration this demonstrating SAB South southern Appalachian mountain culture and it’s typically held last weekend of September is always free to the public right.
00:38:15.780 –> 00:38:16.890 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: that’s Nice.
00:38:17.070 –> 00:38:25.830 Joseph McElroy: So what are you involved in planning that and how, what does involvement, putting it all is it a big.
00:38:26.640 –> 00:38:35.970 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: It is a big deal and it’s a university-wide event over the years it’s really changed a lot, you know.
00:38:36.570 –> 00:38:48.210 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Back in 2014 mountain heritage day had its 40th anniversary, and so I created an exhibit about the history of mountain heritage day so.
00:38:48.720 –> 00:38:57.780 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: It started out, you know back in cotton Robinson stay with him pulling together a steering committee of faculty and staff at the university.
00:38:58.050 –> 00:39:12.630 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Who, then you know kind of spread it out and made it happen with the help of a lot of Community volunteers and sponsors to and then over the years it shifted to.
00:39:13.290 –> 00:39:20.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Management when I very first came in the mountain heritage Center really was sort of the lead entity.
00:39:20.430 –> 00:39:44.820 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And there was a position on our staff called mountain heritage day coordinator and that’s what that person did was just year-round, or mountain heritage day but, in the course of my end I just had my 11th anniversary with Western Carolina university yesterday it’s been a.
00:39:45.360 –> 00:39:47.940 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: graduation yeah yeah so.
00:39:49.500 –> 00:40:01.860 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: In the course of my tenure there it’s shifted to the university administration had evolved so that there was this whole office of special events under the university chief of staff.
00:40:02.190 –> 00:40:13.860 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And so the main coordination of the festival, including like the sponsorships and a lot of the logistics.
00:40:14.370 –> 00:40:26.670 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: shifted over to them, but the mountain heritage Center still to this day, is very, very involved in the performers the demonstrators.
00:40:27.600 –> 00:40:39.120 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: All of the activities that go on a mountain heritage and also another thing that we are totally involved in, now is the mountain heritage awards as well.
00:40:39.600 –> 00:40:54.420 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Of course, is something that I just love so much that every year we publicly acknowledge a person and in position for some very special aspect of cultural preservation that’s great.
00:40:54.810 –> 00:41:03.930 Joseph McElroy: I also love that you involve you know it’s not just about Scotch Irish settlers it’s also about the Cherokee and African American cultures and other cultures.
00:41:05.160 –> 00:41:10.620 Joseph McElroy: What are the types of what you know you mentioned, we kind of types of things that you do to represent that diversity.
00:41:11.400 –> 00:41:19.230 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And you know again that’s been built in there from the very, very beginning, which I think is absolutely wonderful.
00:41:19.500 –> 00:41:30.090 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: One of the things that really me away when I first started hearing about the festival was the fact that they have Cherokee stickball games smack in the middle of the festival and.
00:41:30.480 –> 00:41:45.450 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know, really serious competitive games and they have a narrator there who explains what’s going on, and you know, we have also always had, of course, who wouldn’t I mean the Cherokee.
00:41:45.540 –> 00:42:00.660 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: crafts, people are amazing are just amazing, and you know if you have craftspeople of that caliber sitting basically on your doorstep, of course, you would invite them to.
00:42:02.460 –> 00:42:06.330 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: The festival and same thing with.
00:42:06.990 –> 00:42:20.580 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: African American Community Members because, although the percentage of African American residents longtime residents of this region it’s maybe not as great as it would be like down in the coast.
00:42:20.880 –> 00:42:33.450 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: But these are people who have been here, their families have been here for hundreds of years and they have fabulous history and traditions and food to share.
00:42:34.020 –> 00:42:36.270 Joseph McElroy: Things well I read a thing, where you talked.
00:42:36.270 –> 00:42:38.880 Joseph McElroy: about the history of Barbecue right.
00:42:39.180 –> 00:42:44.190 Joseph McElroy: I am Barbecue, as we know, it would not exist without African American men.
00:42:45.450 –> 00:42:46.470 Joseph McElroy: right because.
00:42:47.850 –> 00:42:49.500 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: pit masters yeah.
00:42:49.980 –> 00:42:52.080 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: yeah and again it’s one of those you know.
00:42:52.740 –> 00:43:03.810 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: grilling meat over a slow fire is multicultural activity, you can find this in several different cultures, but certainly the American manifestation.
00:43:04.110 –> 00:43:16.770 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: has to do with southern African Americans and it’s spread out from there, and you know I for 1 am very grateful for that tradition but yeah my friends at.
00:43:17.160 –> 00:43:27.540 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Scotts creek liberty Baptist church we’re back at this year’s mountain heritage day with their fish right, so we have that and we had fat Calhoun’s.
00:43:28.740 –> 00:43:33.120 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Indian fry bread from Cherokee how again, you know we are.
00:43:34.140 –> 00:43:35.760 Joseph McElroy: Well you’re doing well, so.
00:43:35.760 –> 00:43:38.700 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: speaks to a lot of us, so the mountain heritage day as.
00:43:38.700 –> 00:43:44.520 Joseph McElroy: Part of actually a bigger thing, which is the West, the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.
00:43:45.630 –> 00:43:51.750 Joseph McElroy: And what is, do you think the overall mission of the whole Center.
00:43:52.800 –> 00:44:06.330 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I can tell to you exactly what mountain Heritage Center is a museum of Appalachian history and culture which we sell it to collect and preserve.
00:44:06.720 –> 00:44:21.750 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And what we do with that stuff is we connect people with local history we build bridges between the university and the Community and we serve as a cultural resource for the region that we are and what we do.
00:44:22.320 –> 00:44:31.560 Joseph McElroy: That you know I’m impressed I’ve read a couple of things that really impressed me because you not only celebrate hairs but you also challenge the heritage right, like, for example.
00:44:32.460 –> 00:44:38.070 Joseph McElroy: You had an exhibit titled rightfully ours women’s suffrage in western North Carolina.
00:44:38.520 –> 00:44:46.680 Joseph McElroy: Which feature three parts, focusing on the national struggle for voting rights local suffragists and on capping notice and, at the time, you said.
00:44:47.040 –> 00:45:01.530 Joseph McElroy: The women’s suffrage movement ultimately became a State rights issue, you cannot talk about the movement without taking talking about the reconstruction of Jim crow laws and the racist aspects of this movement that’s really a strong statement.
00:45:02.520 –> 00:45:11.280 Joseph McElroy: that’s even more about that it’s not as that you know celebrates what we’ve done but also challenges, what happened.
00:45:12.450 –> 00:45:13.320 Joseph McElroy: Right so.
00:45:14.970 –> 00:45:25.950 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: There is equal, you know celebration and challenge because you know, once the 19th amendment was passed the very first female.
00:45:26.970 –> 00:45:57.000 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: State Senator and state legislator came from Western North Carolina you know our first Senator was guilt nurtured deals McKee from Hillsborough and then Silva North Carolina and our first general assembly Member from the House side was Lillian XM Clement who from bumpkin bum can.
00:46:00.720 –> 00:46:01.710 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Say bank account.
00:46:02.640 –> 00:46:05.760 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And she was also before she you know.
00:46:05.820 –> 00:46:22.230 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: went into politics, she was a lawyer and was passed the law bar with the highest score of one in her entire class was the first woman to hang out your shingle without male partners so.
00:46:22.620 –> 00:46:23.640 Joseph McElroy: We have to take a break.
00:46:25.230 –> 00:46:34.800 Joseph McElroy: I have to mention that my grandmother was the first woman broker in western North Carolina, but I have a government of papers at the time and stuff like that, but.
00:46:35.460 –> 00:46:45.120 Joseph McElroy: We have to take a break now, and when we come back we’ll finish up a little bit more about some of the exhibits and then what’s your ideas of things to do in the mountains.
00:48:46.440 –> 00:48:59.940 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest is PamMeister so Pam you were kind enough to help us install a traveling set of panels on the plot pounds history at our own.
00:49:00.570 –> 00:49:04.410 Joseph McElroy: meadowlark smoky mountain heritage Center and I really want to thank you for that.
00:49:05.520 –> 00:49:08.490 Joseph McElroy: You had a big show about the plot House why did that happen.
00:49:10.560 –> 00:49:21.300 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Again, that was a little right before my time I, unfortunately, was not the one to collaborate with Bob on that wonderful exhibit.
00:49:21.630 –> 00:49:28.920 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: that my colleague, Peter, who is still there was involved with that, as was the previous curator and.
00:49:29.550 –> 00:49:52.320 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know that is a fabulous exhibit and I really loved it when the plot fest was going full tilt at the Maggie valley festival fairgrounds because that inspired us to create a version of that exhibit which was designed you hang on a chain-link fence, so we would take our last.
00:49:52.950 –> 00:49:54.750 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Day of the exhibit.
00:49:55.080 –> 00:50:12.060 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: hanging on the fence real early in the morning of that festival and then all the plant hound owners would come and sit their dogs in front of the exhibit and take selfies with the dog and we just love that so much now there is audience engagement for you.
00:50:12.150 –> 00:50:12.870 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.
00:50:12.990 –> 00:50:14.370 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well, you know we’re gonna have.
00:50:14.550 –> 00:50:29.880 Joseph McElroy: The Plott fest reunion, we had the first one this year we’re going to have it again the first week of June and we’re actually going to have the UK see judging of pot house, but you made a traveling show out of the auto out of that.
00:50:31.590 –> 00:50:32.310 Joseph McElroy: going on.
00:50:32.580 –> 00:50:36.810 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Yes, and it’s really popular at other festivals and.
00:50:37.380 –> 00:50:45.060 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know bomb plot is a total example of the incredible local resources we have around here.
00:50:45.330 –> 00:51:04.560 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And how invariably generous people are about sharing their family traditions their specialized knowledge and then we try to serve as a platform for these wonderful people in these wonderful traditions and get it out there in the world, and so.
00:51:05.280 –> 00:51:09.570 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: That exhibit has a long and happy life, and I think it’s going to keep going for a lot.
00:51:09.840 –> 00:51:10.980 Joseph McElroy: of people enjoy people.
00:51:11.250 –> 00:51:19.800 Joseph McElroy: love it, we have our version of it, the panels really are popular at the motel so you’re a self-proclaimed Boris Kephart fanatic.
00:51:21.120 –> 00:51:23.820 Joseph McElroy: And you guys have created your own.
00:51:25.020 –> 00:51:32.580 Joseph McElroy: I mean you, you actually helped us with a little clip art festival, and he brought over that wedding dress have kept parts wife, which was spectacular.
00:51:33.840 –> 00:51:34.110 Joseph McElroy: and
00:51:35.340 –> 00:51:41.520 Joseph McElroy: Again, thank you for that, but you also have a CAP our archive of it, the Western Carolina university what’s what is that.
00:51:41.580 –> 00:51:56.850 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: what’s the night, actually, that is run by our next-door neighbor’s hunter libraries department of special collections and that archive is well the people in Ithaca might.
00:51:58.170 –> 00:52:11.460 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: not agree with me, but it’s the best-kept archive in the world because it contains 27 horoscope hearts original notebooks he kept these journals.
00:52:11.790 –> 00:52:22.950 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: In his own handwriting which is amazing, and you know put all sorts of notes and photographs and clippings and things like it’s extraordinary.
00:52:23.910 –> 00:52:34.500 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: get a record of his time here in the mountains and just his thought processes as he was working on all his articles and.
00:52:35.130 –> 00:52:50.820 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: it’s pretty amazing and, since then, of course, our relationship with the CAP heart family and the CAP heart foundation is very cordial, and so they keep finding with this and donate to Western Carolina University.
00:52:51.600 –> 00:53:02.790 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: We love it, so the mountain heritage Center is the custodian of the objects, because when he passed away so suddenly in that automobile accident.
00:53:04.080 –> 00:53:14.850 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: His executor who was his friend local businessman Stearns you know saw to it that many of these things were preserved and.
00:53:15.330 –> 00:53:31.620 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: given to Western Carolina University and really have enough kept part things of objects I’ve done two exhibits now over the course of the years I’ve been there, where we actually recreated counterparts campsite because we have.
00:53:32.010 –> 00:53:34.740 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: This fabulous Hence we have a champion.
00:53:35.760 –> 00:53:47.820 Joseph McElroy: Yes, these are things people enjoy coming to see I know very much and now you’re also another founder of the smoky mountains you’re digitizing the photography of Kelly Bennett what is that can be available for everybody to see.
00:53:48.330 –> 00:53:53.280 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Well, you know, again, that is special collections and.
00:53:53.910 –> 00:54:12.900 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Kelly Bennett was, I think the pharmacist in Bryson city and an extremely talented amateur photography and any street photographer and an extremely prolific one that collection they haven’t given me an exact number but it’s multiple thousands of images.
00:54:13.170 –> 00:54:23.130 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And remember from that that kept our weekend there were a dozen new images of Horus Kepler that had.
00:54:23.580 –> 00:54:44.190 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: ever seen before critically, he was wearing a suit in most of them, which was amazing you know that’s not the case that we have in the collection, at this point in time so there’s an excellent website called Horace counterpart revealing an enigma that is on the hunter library.
00:54:46.230 –> 00:55:06.240 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: You know web page for the university and if people will just Google that title Horace Kephart revealing an enigma they’ll get to it, and it has an amazing array of photographs images and high-quality photographs of the objects that we own as well, so that’s.
00:55:07.260 –> 00:55:12.180 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Speaking to the fellow Kepler fanatics out there, look that one.
00:55:14.040 –> 00:55:23.070 Joseph McElroy: quickly we’re getting close to the end here what’s next for you, and how do people find out about you and and and and the collections.
00:55:24.870 –> 00:55:33.780 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Mountain heritage Center is moving right along, we still have our river cane Renaissance exhibit up right now, which is something that.
00:55:34.230 –> 00:55:48.270 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: melds biology ecology cultural traditions and some really fabulous river cane artifacts to talk about the history of ever Kane its cultural importance to native people.
00:55:48.630 –> 00:56:01.920 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: and ecological importance of it today is a flood barrier so that’s up right now to the end of the year, it goes on tour for two and a half years so it’ll be around in North Carolina.
00:56:02.610 –> 00:56:16.080 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Next year, we have two months of an African American artist and Miller Woodward’s works, and then we move on to quilts we have a fabulous.
00:56:16.650 –> 00:56:35.610 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: collection and so we’ll have quotes up march through August and then next fall we move back to discussing native people were having an exhibit a traveling exhibit is coming to us called away from home native American boarding school stories with.
00:56:37.320 –> 00:56:37.710 Joseph McElroy: A very.
00:56:37.950 –> 00:56:39.390 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Big lineup for next year.
00:56:39.660 –> 00:56:53.550 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: And again, we are also on the way to your website and again mhc.wcu.edu will get you to the mountain heritage center’s website.
00:56:53.850 –> 00:56:58.020 Joseph McElroy: and any any any Facebook page or anything for you, for you personally.
00:56:58.170 –> 00:57:02.340 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: I’m not for me personally, but the mountain heritage Center has.
00:57:02.880 –> 00:57:15.330 Joseph McElroy: Great well, I want to thank you for being on this show and it’s been a pleasure, having you I look forward to seeing you at heritage events it’s part of our heritage to be involved with that.
00:57:15.360 –> 00:57:19.050 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: yeah I will be down the road to come and see you in Maggie’s belly and.
00:57:19.230 –> 00:57:20.100 Joseph McElroy: sounds good.
00:57:20.940 –> 00:57:22.470 Pam-Mountain Heritage Center, WCU: Come see us someday too.
00:57:23.550 –> 00:57:38.730 Joseph McElroy: So this is the gateway to the smokies podcast you can find more about us a gateway to the smokies dot fun or at the see live streams to this on Facebook facebook.com so as a gateway to the smokies.
00:57:39.780 –> 00:57:58.860 Joseph McElroy: podcast I want to mention that was on the October 31, 2021, issue of the front page of the Charlotte observer talking about me in the Meadowlark so get yourself over to the website and read about it’s a really wonderful story, I think you know, a timely thing about covid and hospitality.
00:58:01.050 –> 00:58:08.550 Joseph McElroy: This podcast is carried on the talk radio.NYC network.
00:58:08.910 –> 00:58:21.630 Joseph McElroy: This is a great network of live podcasts 24 hours a day, and it has some really interesting lots of very cultural and political and business interests.
00:58:21.840 –> 00:58:27.030 Joseph McElroy: the podcast after this is about New York City, in turn, going to visit New York City so.
00:58:27.270 –> 00:58:39.120 Joseph McElroy: I would love for you to stick around and listen to the next podcast and catch us next week from six to seven on Tuesday night for another great podcast episode of gateway to the smokies Thank you.
