Sarah Gibson is an oral historian and musician who lives in North Carolina, where she has been documenting the work of musicians, ballad singers, craftspeople, and other tradition-bearers in the region. Gibson is one of six Sitka Fellows in residency this month at the Island Institute this summer.
Raised in a rural community in Vermont, Gibson is compelled by land and people, and how the relationship between the two expresses itself in traditional arts and storytelling. Gibson talks about the challenges of documenting rural places and her previous work in Appalachia.
Gibson will be leading a how-to oral history workshop tomorrow (09-27-15) at 7 p.m. in Fraser Hall, teaching participants how to do interviews with loved ones and neighbors. The Southern-style dance caller will lead a square dance at the Larkspur Cafe on Friday, August 28, with live music by the Pioneer Mountain Boys. The dance begins at 9:30 p.m, with a dance lesson at 9 p.m.
While in Sitka, Sarah began a KCAW series of audio portraits of tradition-bearers: musicians, artists, and old-timers whose lifestyles and art connect them to their home and history. You can listen to Sitka Spotlights every Monday around 8:28 a.m.
