About

A collaborative effort by UNCA students, working across disciplines, to capture and present a contemporary view of Asheville. The core of this project would consist of a series of recorded oral interviews based around a common theme. The full interviews would be transcribed and submitted to UNCA Special Collections. The text, audio and visuals from these interviews would be used to create a visual documentary which tells a story of modern Asheville.

The recent global economic turndown has a had far reaching effects. The collapse of the US housing market last year and an economic recession in the US has directly influenced the lives of people living in Asheville. Tourism, businesses, restaurants, colleges, government, and growth have all been impacted. How has the recent downturn effected peoples understanding of how our economy works? How have people’s lives been changed? How do they feel about those changes? How does the future look?

There is space in the maelstrom of modern media for a hardworking team to capture a unique snapshot of the city of Asheville. How people are viewing the recent events in our country is indicative of how we may move forward from here. A change in our economy could signal a change in our philosophy.

It is not ours to say what the future will hold. However, we are duty bound to express how we understand the present, for there are few others more qualified.