May 9, 2023
CONTACT: Nanci Bross-Fregonara, Communications Specialist @ 304-516-4775
ELKINS – The West Virginia Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, recently announced that the Kump Education Center is the recipient of a minigrant that will partially fund an upcoming Wild, Wonderful Woods celebration at the historic Gov. Kump House Saturday, June 24, from noon to 5 p.m.
The grant will assist in creating interpretive panels and other display materials focusing on the Mountain State's rich forest heritage and how it impacted the region's economy and character. The exhibits will also highlight how the Kump House was constructed and furnished using local wood and wood craftsmen.
"We are grateful to have received this Humanities grant which will help elevate and celebrate the importance of our local forest," said Heather Biola, director of the Kump Education Center. "The event will be a wonderful way to bring together wood-related local artisans and organizations and acknowledge West Virginia's 160th anniversary of statehood."
The celebration's highlights include many children's activities, such as making ornaments for the National Christmas Tree, which will be harvested from the Monongahela National Forest this year. Local musicians will provide entertainment, and the KEC's popular Pie Auction will return at 2 p.m. The Gov. Kump House will be open for public tours during the entire event.
Several organizations have already committed to participating in the event, including the U.S. Forest Service, The Arts Center, Davis & Elkins College, the Elkins Tree Board, Tygart Valley Master Naturalists, Randolph County Technical Center, and the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area. Vendor booths will include forest-related crafts and food products.
The Humanities Council, serving West Virginia through grants and direct programs in the humanities, budgets over $800,000 for grants and programs each year. A variety of grants are offered to nonprofit organizations that support educational programming. Minigrants, designed for projects requesting $2,000 or less, are awarded four times yearly.
For more information about the West Virginia Humanities Council grants program, contact Humanities Council grants administrator Erin Riebe at (304) 346-8500 or via email at riebe@wvhumanities.org. Grant guidelines and applications are available on the Humanities Council website: www.wvhumanities.org.
For more information about the event or questions about being a participant or vendor, please visit www.kumpeducationcenter.org or email kumpec@gmail.com.
Grace Sundelein, a Kump Education Center volunteer serves up pie for a previous Pie Auction held at the Gov. Kump House. This popular event will return on Saturday, June 24 at 2 p.m. during the Wild, Wonderful Woods celebration.
Musician Katy McClane will be featured playing traditional Native American music at the Wild, Wonderful Woods celebration set for June 24, from noon until 5 p.m. at the historic Gov. Kump House in Elkins. The event includes public tours of the historic home, children’s activities, new interpretive displays, vendors and opportunities to learn about the region’s forest heritage.