The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is launching a dual exhibition featuring "From These Hills" and "Making it in America," opening April 14 in Roanoke. "From These Hills," on loan from the William King Museum of Art and curated by Kathy Foley, showcases contemporary Appalachian art across various media that explore regional identity and memory. Complementing this, photojournalist Heather Rousseau’s "Making it in America" documents the lived experiences of immigrants and refugees in Southwest Virginia, capturing the resilience of Afghan, Ukrainian, and Latino newcomers through five years of visual storytelling.
This exhibition pairing is significant for its intersection of traditional regional identity with the evolving demographic landscape of the American South. By hosting these works within a medical school environment, the institution fosters a broader dialogue on community health, belonging, and the social determinants of identity. The collaboration between a major regional museum and a documentary journalist highlights the role of art in bridging the gap between long-standing cultural heritage and the contemporary realities of displacement and resettlement.