Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center Welcomes New York Times Best-Seller Author Saturday, April 5

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - March 19, 2014 - PRLog -- In coordination with our Changing Appalachia exhibit, the Commodore Movie Theatre will host award-winning Southern writer, Sharyn McCrumb, who is best known for her Appalachian Ballad novels including many New York Times Best-Sellers such as The Ballad of Frankie Silver, She Walks These Hills, The Ballad of Tom Dooley, and St. Dale, winner of a Library of Virginia Award. Her newest novel is King’s Mountain.

McCrumb will be joined by Katie Hoffman and Jack Hinshelwood for a discussion on ballads and ballad books (which can be purchased here in the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center Gallery Shop).

Jack Hinshelwood began playing traditional music, much of it Appalachian and Bluegrass fiddle tunes, on the guitar in 1972.  He found success in numerous guitar contests, winning the Knoxville World’s Fair Guitar Championship, the Galax Fiddler’s Convention Guitar Contest and the Wayne Henderson Guitar Championship.

Jack has toured the USA and Canada with Sharyn, performing a program programs based on her Ballad Series novels.  Their collaboration resulted in “If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-O”, Jack’s recording of the ballads from Sharyn’s novel by the same name.

Katie Hoffman is the founder of Appalworks a company designed to promote cultural heritage as a tool for both place-based, sustainable economic development and for the educational enhancement of the region’s students with a focus mainly on Appalachia.  Katie is also a talented singer/songwriter and a performer of traditional Appalachian music.  She has been singing, playing and lecturing about traditional music for over three decades.

Lunch at the Commodore can be purchased from 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. for those seated in the dining area. Advanced tickets for seating can be purchased at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center Gallery Shop. Ticket pricing for the balcony is $5 for museum members or $10 for non-members and the dining area is $10 for museum members or $15 for non-members. A valid museum membership card and I.D. must be presented at the time of purchase.

To make reservations or for more information, please visit the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center’s Gallery Shop at 420 High Street, Portsmouth or call 757-393-8543.  For additional program information, visit www.portsmouthartcenter.com.

About the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center

The Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, housed in the 1846 Courthouse, is devoted to offering quality educational, cultural and aesthetic experiences in the arts through rotating visual art exhibits, lectures, classes and performances.

Museum Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. First Friday of each month: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Closed Mondays, except holiday Mondays.  Admission: $3/adults, $2/ages 2 – 17 years; AAA, military and senior discounts available. www.portsmouthartcenter.com