Tryon Fine Arts Center will present a series of humanities lectures at 3 p.m. on three consecutive Sundays starting Sept. 30 through Oct. 14. The speakers are part of

the “Road Scholars” speakers’ bureau developed for use by nonprofit groups to explore the cultures and heritage of North Carolina. The project is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“Our state’s Humanities Council sponsors, free of charge, fascinating programs about North Carolina’s heritage,” said Mike McCue, president of Kangaroo Products and Condar Company in Columbus and a trustee on the Humanities Council. “The expert speakers coming to Polk County on three Sunday afternoons have wowed audiences with their interesting talks. It’s a great opportunity to learn and enjoy, for everybody.”
The speakers coming to TFAC are:
• Sept. 30: Alex Macauley (Ph.D. University of Georgia) will present “It’s Not Just A Game: Sports and Society in North Carolina,” examining what sports and the men and women who play them have meant and continue to mean to the state economically, culturally, politically and socially. Macauley is an assistant professor of U.S. history at Western Carolina University.
• Oct. 7: Anne Rogers (Ph.D. University of Georgia) will present “Native Americans and Their Use of the Environment,” discussing the use of plant, animal and mineral resources by the Cherokee and also describing sociological and political changes as they evolved from hunting and gathering to chiefdom-level societies. Rogers is an anthropologist specializing in archaeology and Native American studies and is a professor at Western Carolina University.
• Oct. 14: Betty Smith (M.Ed. Georgia State University) will present “Women in Traditional Song: What the Songs Say About Women and the Women Who Sang Them.” Smith, an award-winning author and performer, will explore with her audience the roles women play in traditional ballads and songs. Smith has performed, taught and shared the music of the south for more than 40 years.
Beth Child, executive director of Tryon Fine Arts Center, said, “We are thrilled to be able to present these knowledgeable speakers free of charge—their topics bring something unusual and different to the community, and we can use our beautiful auditorium in new ways.”
For more information, visit www.tryonarts.org or call 828-859-8322.
– article submitted
by Marianne Carruth