The Augusta Heritage Center is one of West Virginia’s most celebrated and enduring cultural institutions. For more than 50 years, Augusta has been dedicated to preserving, presenting, and passing on the traditional music, dance, craft, and folklore of Appalachia and beyond.
Founded in 1973, Augusta has grown into an internationally recognized home for roots arts education, welcoming generations of artists, students, and cultural travelers to learn directly from master tradition bearers. Each summer, Augusta’s immersive workshops bring hundreds of participants and faculty to Elkins for weeks filled with music, dance, craft, storytelling, and community connection.
A cornerstone of Augusta’s mission is its extensive archive, a living repository of recordings, photographs, oral histories, and rare materials documenting Appalachian cultural traditions and the artists who carry them. This collection serves both scholars and community members, ensuring that priceless cultural memory not only endures, but continues to inform and inspire new generations of tradition bearers
In 2022, Augusta became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for the very first time in its history. This bold new chapter was marked by the acquisition and transformation of the historic Wilt Building in downtown Elkins. Opening in June 2026, the Wilt Building will serve as a vibrant cultural hub, featuring a café, community space, and dance hall, creating a year-round home for Augusta’s programs and energizing downtown through regular performances, classes, and gatherings.
At its heart, Augusta is about more than preservation; it’s about participation. Through hands-on learning, intergenerational exchange, and celebration of living traditions, Augusta connects people to the creative spirit of Appalachia and the shared cultural heritage that continues to inspire artists across the world.
For inquires about the program please contact: info@augustaartsandculture.org or call 304-637-1209.
Seth Young
Chief Executive OfficerContact: Seth@augustaartsandculture.org
Seth Young is the Executive Director of the Augusta Heritage Center. Before this role, he was a career music educator specializing in preschool through 12th-grade band, jazz band, choir, and general music. In 2013, he was named master instrumental music instructor for the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts and served three years in that position. Known for creating vibrant after school music programs for teens, he oversaw the music program at the Randolph County Arts Center from 2009-2016. A lifelong musician and performer, Young has toured extensively in the US, Europe, South America, and Asia. He holds a BA in music education from Davis and Elkins College and is pursuing an MMME in the Kodaly philosophy of music education at Capital University.
Emily Miller
Chief Creative OfficerContact: Emily@augustaartsandculture.org
Emily Miller is the Artistic Director of the Augusta Heritage Center, the string band director of the college’s Appalachian Ensemble, and a professional singer and fiddle player. At Augusta, Emily works with the director to oversee all programming and helps the theme week coordinators to execute a joint artistic vision. She received her BA in Anthropology-Linguistics from Brown University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University. In her career as a musician, she has toured with bands such as the Sweetback Sisters, The Starry Mountain Singers, and as a duo with Jesse Milnes, performing multiple times on national radio programs Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion. She has released several albums of traditional and country music including In the Valley (2006), Chicken Ain’t Chicken (2009), Looking for a Fight (2012), Jesse Milnes & Emily Miller: Deep End Sessions (2015) and King of Killing Time (2017).
Eric Armstrong
Chief Operations OfficerContact: Eric@augustaartsandculture.org
Eric Armstrong is the Chief Operations Officer for the Augusta Heritage Center.
Roman Uhrig
AmeriCorps Employee: Program CoordinatorContact: roman.u@augustaartsandculture.org
Roman is a 2025/26 AmeriCorps Service member who assists Emily Miller (Chief Creative Officer) with responsibilities in artist and instructor communications, social media management and event coordination. Roman moved to Elkins in January 2025 from Norfolk, United Kingdom. He has over a decade of experience in the hospitality sector paving the way into organizing and planning music events across England and Europe with renown Christian music artists. In his most recent role Roman stage managed Augusta’s Summer Program concerts.
Ben Quarles
AmeriCorps Employee: Archival Preservation CoordinatorContact: Ben.Q@augustaartsandculture.org
Ben is a 2025/26 AmeriCorps Service member who is serving as the Augusta Archive Preservation Coordinator.