“Mentors and Heroes,” a photography exhibit by David Holt

Press release from North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources:

“Mentors and Heroes,” a photography exhibit by David Holt, will be on exhibit at the Western Office of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in Asheville from March 27 to May 6. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The exhibit includes over 30 framed black and white portraits of Holt’s many musical mentors and heroes from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Among those featured in the exhibit are Madison County ballad singers Dellie Norton, Cas Wallin, Berzilla Wallin and Sheila Kay Adams, who Holt met when he first came to western North Carolina in the 1970s.

Also in the exhibit are portraits of Doc Watson, with whom Holt traveled and performed for many years. Holt calls Watson his “musical father” and most important mentor. In addition, the exhibit includes several musical instruments from Holt’s person collection. The “Tree of Life” open back banjo custom made by Bud Soesby and Wade Mainer’s 1953 Gibson are among those on display.

David Holt is a four-time GRAMMY Award winner who, in addition to being a musician, story-teller, radio and television host, has done important work documenting and sharing the stories and images of many significant American musicians. In Holt’s words, “These folks have a power and wisdom that you just don’t see in the modern world. They grew up before self-doubt was invented.”

The Western Office of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is located at 176 Riceville Road, Asheville, N.C. For additional information about the exhibition please call (828) 296-7230, email jeff.futch@ncdcr.gov, or visit http://www.ncdcr.gov/westernoffice.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.