North Carolina Humanities and the Earl Scruggs Center are excited to announce an upcoming event in Shelby, NC celebrating North Carolina’s music heritage on May 21st 2026, at 6:00 PM.
Join us in-person for an event incorporating music demonstrations and a conversation with artist Laura Boosinger and music heritage scholar Jordan Laney moderated by Joe Kendrick.
Through a special initiative titled “By the People” – Music from the Old North State NC Humanities and local partners; Arts of the Albemarle, the Earl Scruggs Center, and the NC Music Hall of Fame, are curating regional programs to highlight North Carolina’s music heritage and culture bearers and to explore how music traditions bring communities together. These programs together with others across the country will explore our nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future through the By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 initiative.
“NC Humanities is excited to be a part of this national effort to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary through an exciting series of programs highlighting North Carolina’s traditions and heritage” says Sherry Paula Watkins, Executive Director of NC Humanities.
Developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 initiative is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States in collaboration with local partners.
“This partnership amplifies the voices from communities nationwide and the cultural practices that define them,” says Phoebe Stein, the Federation’s president. “It’s a celebration of the humanities as a living, breathing force in our country—one that has brought people together to listen, learn, and create since the nation’s earliest days.”
“As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, By the People invites communities to celebrate their stories and imagine a shared future grounded in creativity and cultural understanding,” says Halle Butvin, director of special projects at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
We invite you to join us for this exciting event! Please click here for more information on this initiative and how to register for events.
“By the People” – Music from the Old North State is a series of events exploring NC’s music heritage. NC Humanities along with our partners; Arts of the Albemarle, the Earl Scruggs Center, and the NC Music Hall of Fame are hosting programs to foster dialogue and highlight NC’s music heritage and culture bearers.
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as a complement to the 2026 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Press Contact: nch@nchumanities.org
About North Carolina Humanities: Through grantmaking and public humanities programs, North Carolina Humanities connects North Carolinians with cultural experiences that spur dialogue, deepen human connections, and inspire community. North Carolina Humanities is a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. North Carolina Humanities is also the home of the North Carolina Center for the Book, the state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, which promotes books, libraries, literacy, and reading around the state. To learn more visit www.nchumanities.org.