Our Mission
The mission of The Storytelling Center of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City is to collect, preserve, exhibit, interpret, educate and promote the artistic, musical and oral tradition, as well as, the cultural heritage of the area known as the Southern Highlands.
Through an extensive collection, varied exhibitions, and bilingual public programs, publications, educational activities and special events, The Storytelling Center of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City educates the public in the richness of Southern Appalachian art and culture.
By introducing the visitors to the artistic heritage, The Storytelling Center of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City is creating the next generation of museum goers, while satisfying the growing interest in the Southern Highlands culture to a broad national and international audience.
Our Vision
To be a recognized as a world-class facility exploring Southern Appalachia’s past to create experiences that transform people's lives by broadening their perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge of themselves and the world around them.
The Building
Formerly the Citizens Bank, the building that will house the headquarters for the storytelling center was constructed around 1910. It has withstood flood and famine, summer heat and winter cold, rain and snow, blowing valley winds and calm mountain breezes. It continues to stand as a monument to those who came before. With walls built of mountain granite, 18 to 24 inches thick, the “bank” building has survived to tell its story. Now, it will provide a place for the tellers of the Southern Appalachians to gather, reminisce, and tell of an era, as well as an area, known as a gentler, and kinder, time and place.
