For the first time in its over half-century history of service, Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, Inc. (SERCAP) is bringing together its experts with local artists for a unique event at the Taubman Museum of Art. On Wednesday, April 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM EDT, the free “Reflections on Water” event will offer community members of all kinds an opportunity to learn about the importance of access to clean water, adequate wastewater facilities, safe and affordable housing, and infrastructure for rural communities through an evening of art, music, and science.
The event will feature a panel discussion between SERCAP Technical Assistance Provider Anna Mahan, regional musician and writer Mike Gangloff, and Roanoke-based visual artist Betsy Bannan. The panel conversation will be moderated by Richard Todd Stafford, PhD, a writer, cultural studies scholar, and communications professional with a background working on environmental issues in Appalachia.
Betsy Bannan’s art explores the earth from above. Her imagery includes farmlands, urban landscapes, night views of cities, and most recently, abstract paintings of airport runways based on satellite views. Betsy has her MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, teaches painting in the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech, and has paintings in the permanent collection of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and in numerous private collections in the US and UK.
Following the panel discussion, audience members will be invited to mingle, learn more about SERCAP, and chat with panelists while Mike Gangloff and Kaily Schenker perform live music. Mike Gangloff is a regional fiddle player well- known both for his traditional Appalachian music, with the likes of the Black Twig Pickers, and his musical experimentation as a founding member of such acts as Pelt, Eight Point Star, and Universal Light. Kaily Schenker is a classically trained cellist, who joins Gangloff using cello, harmonium, and voice. Together, they explore the living traditions of regional music and offer explorations into musical territories as-yet unheard.