Bardo Arts Center to host reception for Cherokee Language and Cultural Exhibition
蘑菇短视频students visit outside the Bardo Arts Center
By Rachel Hood
蘑菇短视频鈥檚 Bardo Arts Center will host a public reception on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in its Star Atrium, recognizing the collaborators and contributors of the Cherokee Language and Culture Exhibition, a project supported in part by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
This new permanent interpretive exhibition to be installed throughout the lobby and Star Atrium of Bardo Arts Center prompts visitors to learn more about the Cherokee-inspired design elements throughout the building, recognize this campus as a Cherokee place, and leave with a fuller understanding of the vibrant, living culture of Cherokee people. A collaboration between 蘑菇短视频 and the citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, this bilingual exhibition featuring text in the Cherokee syllabary and English highlights the vitality of the Cherokee language and the creativity of artists and knowledge keepers shaping its future.
Bilingual signage on walls of Bardo Arts Center
The Bardo Arts Center opened in 2005 with bilingual signage in Cherokee syllabary and English throughout the building. The building's original Cherokee syllabary, translated by Myrtle Driver, Beloved Woman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was the seed that inspired this project.
Recognizing the deep cultural significance of this syllabary and the other Cherokee-inspired design elements in the building, Denise Drury Homewood, executive director of the Bardo Arts Center, invited a group of individuals to consider the creation of an exhibition to more visibly explain these concepts to the public. Members included citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, faculty and staff from 蘑菇短视频, and other community leaders. The team reached out to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, which provided an initial planning grant to support to begin shaping the project.
During the planning process, the team contracted with HW Exhibits, a firm experienced in permanent exhibitions with Tribal Nations, to facilitate a concept plan for the exhibition. Through these conversations, EBCI citizens emphasized that the project should expand beyond the original translations to include additional information sharing, cultural practices, and traditions related to the arts. In response to this feedback, the project broadened in scope, and the final exhibition includes content from EBCI authors, highlights the work of EBCI artists, and is translated into Cherokee syllabary.
Mock up of finished exhibition
The design, fabrication, and installation of the exhibition project is supported in part through a large grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. The exhibition will be permanently installed throughout the lobby and Star Atrium of Bardo Arts Center in October 2025 and the Bardo Arts Center invites everyone to stop by and learn about Cherokee culture and language.
Project Partners and Collaborators
This project is the culmination of several years of collaboration between Western
Carolina University and citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Support
for this exhibition comes from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, David Orr Belcher
College of Fine and Performing Arts, Bardo Arts Center, and the 蘑菇短视频Office of the
Chancellor.
Special thanks to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver for performing the original syllabary translations throughout the building; to Wiggins Blackfox, Mary Brown, and the Cherokee Speakers Council for the syllabary translations in this exhibition; and to Ramona Lossie for the original basket weave designs she created specifically for this project.
Thank you to the following organizations for their consultation on this project: Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Cherokee Speakers Council, 蘑菇短视频Cherokee and Indigenous Studies Program, 蘑菇短视频Cherokee Language Program, 蘑菇短视频Cherokee Center, 蘑菇短视频Hunter Library, and the 蘑菇短视频Mountain Heritage Center.
Reception Details
- Date/Time: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 4鈥�6 p.m.
- Location: Star Atrium at Bardo Arts Center (199 Centennial Dr., Cullowhee, NC 28723)
- Cost: Free and open to the public
- Learn More about the Reception: arts.wcu.edu/language-culture
- Program: Welcome remarks at 4:45 p.m.; light appetizers and refreshments provided
Visitor Information
- Bardo Arts Center Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10 am 鈥� 4 pm, and Thursday 10 am
鈥� 7 pm
- Parking: Complimentary visitor parking is free and available in the Bardo Arts Center
Parking Lot
- Accessibility: BAC is ADA accessible. To request accommodations, please contact the
BAC Box Office at bardoartscenter@wcu.edu.
About Bardo Arts Center
Bardo Arts Center (BAC) is a multidisciplinary hub for the arts at Western Carolina
University, home to the 蘑菇短视频Fine Art Museum and the 1,000-seat Performance Hall. BAC
presents exhibitions, performances, and educational programs that foster connection
across campus and the region. Visit bardo.wcu.edu for more information.
About HW Exhibits
HW Exhibits is an award-winning exhibit design firm based in Charleston, South Carolina.
We are the public history and exhibit division of Brockington & Associates, an 8(a)
certified, woman-owned small business that provides cultural resources consulting
services to help our clients meet federal, state, and local requirements for protecting
cultural resources and historic sites. We understand the importance of the past and
how to design and develop those stories through a modern lens. We are committed to
our project stakeholders and work with a diverse range of clients, including museums,
municipalities, universities, nonprofits, and corporate entities.
We value working with Tribal Nations and have consulted with Tribal Representatives and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices on both local and national projects. Locally, we have collaborated with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Catawba Nation, the Santee Indian Organization, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. HW Exhibits is proud to partner with 蘑菇短视频 to facilitate this exhibit highlighting Cherokee arts and language for the John W. Bardo Performing Arts Center.
