Interview with Herb E. Smith, January 29, 2016

Project: Exploring the Legacies of Appalshop Oral History Project

  • Description
  • Play Interview
  • Rights & Request
  • Citation

Interview Summary

Herby begins this interview by discussing the complexity of Appalshop's history as an arts organization willing to critique the common practices of the region in an effort to correct economic and social failings in the immediate area. This leads to an extended reflection on being an artist and documentarian, and he explains the importance of style and audience in the context of Appalshop's work. Herby recalls the making of "Hand Carved" and spending time with Chester Cornett. Next, Herby explains the working of the Appalachian Human History Project and the way this led to collaborations with academics and, eventually, the film "Strangers and Kin." He discusses the film's many features and elements, as well as its reception. Next he talks about the making of "Harriette Simpson Arnow." The interview concludes with a reflection on Appalshop's maturity during the 1980s, when it became an economic power in Whitesburg and a regional hub for arts and grant agencies.

Interview Accession

2016oh034_appal028

Interviewee Name

Herb E. Smith

Interviewer Name

Jeffrey A. Keith

Rayna Gellert

Interview Date

2016-01-29

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Restriction

No Restrictions


access interview in full screen  

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Add this interview to your cart in order to begin the process of requesting access to a copy of and/or permission to reproduce interview(s). 


Smith, Herb E. Interview by Jeffrey A. Keith. 29 Jan. 2016. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Smith, H.E. (2016, January 29). Interview by J. A. Keith. Exploring the Legacies of Appalshop Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Smith, Herb E., interview by Jeffrey A. Keith. January 29, 2016, Exploring the Legacies of Appalshop Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.





You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.

Persistent Link for this Record: https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt705q4rmz31