Gerald Milnes, former Folk Art Coordinator for Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College, was presented the Vandalia Award, West Virginia’s highest folklife honor at the 37th Annual Vandalia Gathering on May 24.
Milnes recently retired from the Augusta Heritage Center after 25 years. During that time, he amassed more than 2,000 hours of film, video and audio recordings, documenting the talents and folk practices of native West Virginians.
In documenting Appalachian culture, Milnes has produced 20 audio recordings of West Virginia traditional music on the Augusta Heritage label, including two recordings chosen by the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, for their “Selected List” of American Folk Music Recordings. A new release, Folk Music & Lore of the Civil War, is a collection of Civil War era songs, tunes and stories recorded as they would have sounded 150 years ago.
Milnes has published several books, including “Play of a Fiddle: Traditional Music, Dance, and Folklore in West Virginia,” (University Press of Kentucky, 1999); “Passing it On: An Introduction to the Folk Art and Folk Life of West Virginia” (Augusta Heritage Center, 1994); “Granny Will Your Dog Bite and Other Mountain Rhymes” (Alfred Knopf, 1990); and “Signs, Cures and Witchery: German Appalachian Folklore” (University of Tennessee Press, 2007).
He was honored as West Virginia Filmmaker of the Year in 2006. In 2009, Milnes received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from Davis & Elkins College.
An accomplished musician, Milnes performs with the group Gandydancer. He has won first-place awards at the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville, Vandalia Gathering in Charleston and the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop.
Milnes contributed music for the soundtrack of the 1988 feature film “Matewan” and served as music consultant for the nationally broadcast PBS documentary series “The Appalachians.” He also has recorded many CDs, including “Hell Up Coal Holler.”
The Vandalia Award is presented annually in a ceremony in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater at the Culture Center. The individuals who receive the award embody the spirit of the state’s folk heritage and are recognized for their lifetime contributions to West Virginia and its traditional culture.
