Appalachian Heart
Welcome to this issue of the Appalachian heART! We hope you're staying safe this winter season. Feel free to curl up and enjoy this update of the arts!
January 2026
Zombies: A Musical Comedy
The Plateau Junior Players are at it again! On Thursday, February 5th, they will be holding auditions for Zombies: A Musical Comedy! Zombies will be our first original musical, and we're so excited to see our kids back on the stage!
For more information about auditions, email appalachiansocietyofthearts@gmail.com.
Shakespeare in Love
I hope you're ready for another masterful work from the Plateau Players, because they're at it again! On Valentines' Day weekend and the weekend after, they'll be performing the charming comedy, Shakespeare in Love! It's a fun, quippy play, mostly performed in plain English, so no need to brush up on your interpretation skills! Exact show times are listed below. We hope to see you there!
February 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st: 7:00 pm
February 15th, 22nd: 2:30 pm
The SODIE Awards
Here at ASotA, we savor the moments where we get to celebrate our internal talents. This January, we held our own awards ceremony- the SODIEs. Please enjoy these photos and the list of awards recipients below.
Administrative Excellence Jr-Joslin Floyd Adult- Ashlee Glaspy Tech Support Jr- Mia Weathers Adult- Courtney Taylor Visual Arts Jr-Ava Morrow Adult- Kenzi Patterson and Rebecca Hintzmann Literary Arts Jr- Michael Ray Adult- Ace Glaspy Folk Arts Jr- Adah Moring Adult- Chrissie Boyatt Performing Arts Group Highland Harmony Community Chorus Performing Arts-Individual Artist Jr-Millie Sexton Adult-Philip Thompson Rising Star Jr- Benjamin Matiyasic Adult- Brenda Smith Sunshine Award Sharon Leonardo Best Director Jessica Rash Glenda Gray Actor in a leading role Jr-Michael Ray Adult-Ralph Trieschmann Supporting Actor Jr-Conner Woods Adult- Azekiel Harness Actress in a leading role Jr-Ava Morrow Adult-Andi Morrow Supporting Actress Jr-Willow Glaspy Adult- Ashlee Glaspy
Songwriters Week
This week, the Tennessee Songwriters Week held its qualifying round. Gather of Oneida generously shared their lovely space. The talent was spectacular; we're so grateful for the opportunity to facilitate such amazing artists. Winners Renee Maggart and Michaelan Stanley will go on to perform at the Bijou in Knoxville, Tennesee. Let's all show our support to theses amazing artists!
How To Submit Your Work
We're looking for art, photography, short stories(<5000 words preferably), poems, of articles. Get creative! For example, you may not be able to include a sculpture, but you can send a picture of a sculpture. We're also happy to present write ups and of art related things happening in the community. Please don't allow your inhibition prevent someone from experiencing art they may enjoy.
All submissions must be appropriate, culturally sound, and respectful. Abosolutely no profanity or vulgarity. The Appalachian heART retains the right to reject all submissions it deems unsuitable.
For written word(poetry, stories, etc.), email it to the editor in the form of a word document or google doc. If that is for some reason impossible, please reach out to the editor. We are willing to work with you. Please include your name, your preference on anonymity, and any context you are willing to share about the work.
For visual art(photography, sketches, paintings, etc.) or images, email the editor the image, along with your name, preference on anonymity, and any context you are willing to share.
Thanks to reformatting, The Appalachian heART is now open to a new art form, video! If you find that the art is not only in the finished product, but in the creation itself, we have a place for that! You may submit a video of you creating art, like pottery or painting, or even singing a song you wrote. We anticipate time lapse videos, because they are shorter, will work best. We recommend no more than four minutes per video, but this is subject to change as we learn how to maximize our platform.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email the editor. We look forward to receiving your art!
Editor: Joslin Floyd floydjoslinnews0@gmail.com