Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center

On November 6, 2022, Dr. Lydia Warren joined Fairmont State University as the new Director of the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. Warren brings experience in museums, music, and grant writing to the role. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College, and an Associate of Science from Middlesex Community College. 

Fairmont State University’s Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will host the Ballads, Hymns and Dulcimers benefit concert on Sunday, August 28 at 2 p.m.

The concert is free and open to the public with donations to be accepted to aid flood victims in Eastern Kentucky. Musicians including Rob N. Lackey, Lynette Swiger and The Kennedy Barn String Band will be featured during the benefit concert.

The 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year will present at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on Wednesday, June 8 at 7 p.m. as part of his statewide Tall Tales of Tony Beaver Storytelling Tour. 

Join storyteller Adam Booth in concert as he performs historical West Virginia tall tales featuring Tony Beaver, our native son lumberjack. The program is free and open to the public, with all stories suitable for a general audience. 

Fairmont State University’s Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will host a Spring Celebration on Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m. The event will begin with a short concert by the Kennedy Barn String Band, followed by an awards ceremony and concluding with a brief introduction to the Trunk of Traditional Tunes Museum Exhibit.

Fairmont State University’s Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will host Fairmont native and author, Diana Pishner Walker, as part of the “Second Saturday” event series on April 9. Walker will present two workshops taking place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Fairmont State’s Kestrel: A Journal of Literature and Art will host its first in-person gathering since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic April 8 – 9 at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. 

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center’s Trunk of Traditional Tunes series will conclude on Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m. with Mack Samples, where he will discuss and demonstrate traditional dance. This event is free for in-person public attendance, and will also be livestreamed on the Folklife Center’s Facebook page.

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will welcome Don Teter for a free event open to the public on Tuesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Teter serves as an assistant professor of surveying at the University.

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center’s Trunk of Traditional Tunes continues Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. with West Virginia native, Emily Hilliard. During her presentation, Hilliard will discuss folk music and collecting folklore. A Trunk of Traditional Tunes is a series dedicated to celebrating the traditional music of West Virginia, funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council through a CARES Act Emergency Relief Grant.

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center’s Trunk of Traditional Tunes continues Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m. with author and educator, Sarah Sullivan. A Trunk of Traditional Tunes is a series dedicated to celebrating the traditional music of West Virginia, funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council through a CARES Act Emergency Relief Grant.