Appalachia meets Mexico with Cornbread & Tortillas // Artists Respond Guest Blog
This guest blog is from Artists Respond grantee Cornbread & Tortillas about their workshop celebrating Appalachian & Mexican heritage & cultures in October 2024. Learn more about this project at kyrux.org/microgrants/2024, and connect with Cornbread & Tortillas online at cornbreadandtortillas.com.
Our Cornbread & Tortillas event in October 2024 brought together a mix of East Kentucky and Central Kentucky Youth, artists sharing Appalachian and Mexican traditions, and a whole bunch of good vibes.
Arlo Barnette kicked us off with a story-sharing circle, and we progressed to Mariachi Music with Genaro Rascon, Mexican Ballet Folklórico with Paulina Vazquez, an Appalachian tune jam, and a bit of flatfooting & clogging with Kentucky musician & dancer Carla Gover.
After sharing some snacks (including a pastel de tres leches from Panaderia Aguascalientes) we learned about embroidery traditions from Mexico with Mercedes Harn and the quilting traditions that Seth Gover learned from his Mamaw Florene Smith.
Jimmy and Joey Webb enlivened our farewell jam session, and the workshop organizers left with a heart full of gratitude for all the wonderful artists, community organizers, and funding organizations like the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange who sponsored this project, and the Cowan Community Action Group who were my partners in putting this event together.