Shannon Musical Heritage Fund
Plaque Dedication April 22, 2011
The
Bowman-Shannon Cultural Arts Center invited the public to a special
plaque presentation on Friday, April 22, 2011. The plaque was presented
by descendents of the Shannon family who built the original Shannon
House which houses the Cultural Arts Center. It honors family donors
who recently established the Shannon Musical Heritage Fund at the
Shenandoah Community Foundation (SCF) to “provide grants to the
Bowman-Shannon Cultural Arts Center that support the preservation,
education, and performance of regional music traditions of the
Shenandoah Valley, especially the cultural roots of string music in the
Appalachians.”
Center Executive Director Kay-Ely Pierce praised the vision and generosity of everyone involved. “This event represents a historic partnership between the Bowman-Shannon Cultural Arts Center, the Shenandoah Community Foundation, and members of the Shannon family, and is a public commitment by all of us to ensure that the young people of this part of the Shenandoah Valley will have the opportunity to learn about the musical roots of their home.”
Shannon family donors, many of whom were among the four generations of Shannons who lived in the Shannon House between 1921 and 1980, say they still feel connected to the Valley and wanted to express that connection in a tangible way.
“We hope the public will embrace this wonderful effort, too,” said Shenandoah Community Foundation
board member Elizabeth Cottrell. “The more this endowment fund grows,
the larger the grant that can be made from it every year.”
Contributions of any size may be made payable to SCF with “Shannon
Fund” in the memo line and sent to SCF at P.O. Box 31, Woodstock, VA
22664
It still feels like home...
remarks by Becky Shannon
Hi,
I am Becky Shannon, granddaughter of Charles and Leila Shannon who
built this house. We are so excited that the house is now open to the
public and that the house is filled again with the sounds of great
activity.
By starting the Shannon Musical Heritage Fund, the Shannon family is honoring the musical legacy of my grandmother, Leila Shannon who played the piano, often playing tunes by ear, just as traditional music is learned today. We hope that the musical opportunities that the fund will seed, will promote the sounds of the Scotch-Irish musical tradition and encourage adults and young people to take up the fiddle and play.
The descendants of Charles and Leila give this gift to Mt. Jackson because Mt. Jackson holds a special place in our memory. We shared many good times under this roof, set in a beautiful spot in the Valley with mountains in the background. We are so happy to have found a way to continue to be a part of this community's life, and so please that Sonny Bowman made this possible.
