FSU Appalachian Festival Symposium

Friday September 18, 2026

Dynamic Appalachia: Commemorating Our Region's Role in U.S. History

FSU’s Upper Quad, Behind Old Main
Free On-Campus Parking in Upper Lots

1 p.m. Western Maryland’s Role in the Development of a Nation

Albert Feldstein will provide an overview of the geography and history of Appalachian Maryland, with a particular focus on Allegany County. Drawing on 250 years of regional history, he will explore how the area’s economic, transportation and industrial development both reflected and shaped the broader growth of America. The presentation will touch on coal mining, immigration, transportation, industry and the changing eras that have defined the region.

Photo Source: Mel Collins Collection, Frostburg State University, Lewis J. Ort Library on https://digital.whilbr.org/

2:00 p.m. Devil in the Hills: West Virginia's Labor History Reflects on Issues Today with Mary Hott

For generations, we have examined the impact of extractive industries on the region’s air, soil and water. But what about the impact on its people? Singer/songwriter Mary Hott, a seventh-generation West Virginian from Paw Paw, explores the human cost of coal mining through stories and original songs. Drawing on the experiences of miners and their families, Hott examines the struggles for fair pay, safety and dignity and the lasting effects of that history on Appalachian communities today.

3:00 p.m. Rayelle Davis Book Talk: Money in the Mountains: The Cultural Trauma of Appalachia

Drawing on her work as a therapist in the Appalachian community, local author Rayelle Davis examines addiction, suicide and other “diseases of despair” through the lens of cultural trauma, exploitation and systemic neglect. Her work explores the lasting effects of generational adversity and the ways economic and social systems have shaped Appalachian communities. Davis argues that Appalachian trauma is rooted in a history of extraction and exploitation, challenging conventional ideas about identity, sovereignty and the American Dream while asking us to consider the human cost of inequality.

4:30 p.m. The Promissory Note: A Visual Audit of the American Dream

In The Promissory Note, artist Pedro Ledesma III turns his camera on Allegany County to explore a larger question: What happens when the promises of the American Dream meet the realities of contemporary Appalachia? Combining contemporary photography, 19th-century photographic processes and community participation, the exhibition examines land, education and belonging as part of an ongoing American story.

Ledesma will offer a brief introduction to the exhibition, followed by a conversation and audience Q&A about the work, its creation and the questions it raises. Attendees are encouraged to visit the exhibition beforehand, if possible, to experience the work in person and bring questions to the discussion.

Roper Gallery, Fine Arts Building, Frostburg State University
Exhibition open Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., through October 2.

Ledesma is a photographer and artist based in Western Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area. His practice draws on research, photographic processes and site-specific installation to explore American identity, history and the social and economic forces that shape everyday life. He holds degrees from MIT and Columbia University and previously worked as an economist at the World Bank.

Join us for a free dinner on the grounds during the final program of the day.

5:30 p.m. Voices Faintly Heard - Film and Discussion with Filmmaker Chris Haddox

Voices Faintly Heard is an award-winning, visually and sonically captivating film set in the rugged coalfield communities of southern West Virginia’s Logan, Lincoln and Mingo counties.

Winner of the Spirit of the Mountains Award at the 2026 UPike Film Festival, the film brings to light rare and largely unknown archival recordings of folk musicians from the 1920s through the 1940s. Filmmaker and musician Chris Haddox takes viewers on an intimate journey through the places where these musicians lived, worked and made music, offering a deeper look at the people and traditions behind these recordings.

Moving beyond the familiar narratives of coal and poverty, Voices Faintly Heard celebrates the region’s rich cultural and musical heritage and its enduring influence on folk musicians around the world.

Join Haddox for a Friday evening screening of the film, followed by a Q&A.