Local Traditional Artists present at Folkfest in Cumberland Gap

CUMBERLAND GAP, TN (WLAF)- Local Traditional Appalachian Artists from Campbell and Claiborne County demonstrated their art on Saturday at Folkfest in Cumberland Gap. For both groups, this was their second year being invited back to participate in the festival.

TOP PHOTO: It was a picture-perfect weather day for the 50^th anniversary of Cumberland Gap’s Folkfest on Saturday.

Mother daughter duo Jeanette Underwood and Charlotte Underwood were once again at “the Gap” as was local musicians and Traditional Artist husband and wife team of Joseph and Samantha Hensley. 

Campbell County locals Jeanette Underwood (right) and Charlotte Underwood were invited to demonstrate traditional Appalachian Agricultural practices as Traditional Artists at the Cumberland Gap Folkfest on Saturday. The Underwoods were part of the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Traditional Artist Apprenticeship program in 2022. The TAC funded traditional artist demonstrators for the 2024 Folkfest.

Joseph Hensley participated in the Tennessee Folklife Apprenticeship program several years ago learning the art of fiddle making and instrument building and repair which has long been a part of his family heritage.

Local musicians and traditional artists husband and wife team Joseph and Samantha Hensley demonstrated instrument building and repair at the 2024 Folkfest in Cumberland Gap on Saturday.

He has a “long- standing family history in music, for at least 4 generations on both sides, including his Grandfather Robie Farmer who played in several Gospel groups and had a gospel radio broadcast on WLAF, and his Uncle Ben Hensley who built and repaired instruments, as well as playing old time and gospel music.”

Through Joseph’s experience with his apprenticeships and Steve Gulley’s Acoustic Music Camp, Joseph has “found a love in teaching his knowledge to others through demonstrating traditional instrument repair and instrument building, teaching music to his guitar students, and playing bluegrass, traditional country, gospel, old -time, and other traditional Appalachian music.”

Local musicians Greg Marlow, right, Joseph Hensley, center, and Samantha Hensley, left, performed at the Cumberland Gap Folk Festival on Saturday in a special tribute to Bluegrass legend Steve Gulley.

He also performs with his wife Samantha and is teaching her various instrument repair methods. Joseph said his “Uncle Ben was and continues to be one of his biggest inspirations.” Ben ran an old country store that was originally opened by Jarvis Hensley (Joseph’s Grandfather). Ben also repaired and built instruments in the back of the store. Joseph said he wants to follow in his footsteps and eventually start repairing and building instruments in his family’s old country store, as well as once again bringing it to life with old time music jams for people to enjoy from Claiborne, and the surrounding counties, as Ben once did.”

Jeanette Underwood talked about seed saving, planting by the signs, preserving, foraging and other traditional Appalachian Agricultural practices during Saturday’s Folkfest at Cumberland Gap.

Joseph and Samantha, along with local LaFollette musician Greg Marlow performed musically on Saturday as well in a special tribute performance to Bluegrass legend “the Late Great Steve Gulley with friends and family.”

The Underwoods demonstrated Traditional Appalachian Agricultural practices such as heirloom seed saving, planting by the signs, canning, preserving and foraging. The pair received a Tennessee Arts Commission grant several years ago to document and preserve these increasingly rare Appalachian food pathways.

Traditional artist and luthier Joseph Hensley demonstrates the art of stringed instrument repair at the 2024 Cumberland Gap Folkfest.

The Underwoods grow a rare heirloom bean called Moss Ivey beans. The seeds have been saved and passed down through the generations in the Underwood family.  Jeanette Underwood has been faithfully saving seeds and growing the bean since 1966, when she was given the seeds by her mother-in-law Grace, who had been growing them for many years and had received seeds from Mossie Ivey most likely in the 1940s.

This past year, after receiving a grant from South Arts as an “Emerging Traditional Artist” Charlotte Underwood raised her own small crop of Moss Ivey beans and saved her own first batch of heirloom bean seeds to plant next spring.  She said she plans to carry on this “important family tradition and understands the responsibility of not letting these traditions or beans die out.”

Natlie Sweet one of the organizers with Folkfest and Traditional Artist Charlotte Underwood at Saturday’s festival in Cumberland Gap. 

According to Charlotte, the past two years has been an “amazing experience of learning more about family history, seed saving and preserving Appalachian and family culture.”

“My mom is the real Traditional Artist, she sews, cans, gardens and has raised her family to know and appreciate the old ways. I am blessed to be able to continue her legacy,” Charlotte Underwood said.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/12/2024-6AM)