This Saturday (Feb. 28, 4–5:30pm) at McGuffey Art Center, Lua Project will launch Los Appalachianos, a Virginia Humanities–funded digital StoryMap rooted in interviews with Latine residents of the Shenandoah Valley.
Participants include my mother, who has lived in the Valley for over 50 years, alongside others who arrived within the past couple of decades. Together, their stories trace how Latine families across generations are shaping an evolving Appalachian cultural identity — one that speaks to the broader Appalachias.
The project began as an original album inspired by these interviews and has grown into an interactive digital platform featuring video, photographs, mapping, and live music grounded in Appalachian and Latin American traditions.
The launch includes live performance excerpts and projected StoryMap visuals as well as a sampling of some Appalachiano food by Army veteran and chef Cesar Ruiz, whose story inspired one of the songs. Hope to you can join us!