At the Augusta Heritage Center, we believe that our differences make us unique and bring richness to our communities. We aim to unite individuals from all backgrounds by educating and honoring the traditions, customs, and folklore of our communities. Through educational events, cultural celebrations, documentation, and community outreach programs, we strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can share their stories and appreciate the heritage of others. Let’s come together to build a brighter future, grounded in the rich histories of our past.
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 Augusta Heritage Center’s Chief Operations Officer.
Ty Wilson
Office CoordinatorContact: Tyler.W@augustaartsandculture.org
Ty Wilson is the Office Coordinator for the Augusta Heritage Center. Ty assists the executive staff with a variety of tasks as needed and handles customer services inquires. Ty graduated from Davis and Elkins College in December 2023 with a bachelors degree in English with a concentration in Literature. Ty began at Augusta as a student employee in January 2022 before being hired as a full time employee in January 2024.
Madeline Ricks
AmeriCorps Employee: Preservation CoordinatorContact: M.Ricks@augustaartsandculture.org
Madeline is an AmeriCorps member with the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area serving at Augusta. She is using her year of service to continue the mission of digitizing Augusta’s large archive, as well as adding to the collection through new recordings and blog posts about Augusta happenings and stories of West Virginia culture. While she was born in Georgia, raised in both Indiana and Montana, and has traveled around the world, she has a special place in her heart for West Virginia, as her mother’s side of the family still lives in Kanawha County. She received her BA in English Literature and a minor in Italian Studies from Gonzaga University and recently finished a Master of Research in Social Anthropology from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She hopes to leave a lasting, positive impact on the organization and community during her short time at Augusta.
Alicia Erjavec
AmeriCorps Employee: Programming CoordinatorContact: alicia.e@augustaartsandculture.org
Alicia Erjavec is an AmeriCorps VISTA member currently serving with the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, partnered with Augusta as their Programs Coordinator. She is assisting Emily Miller establish and organize events that include the Summer Workshops for 2025, Lift Your Voices concerts, retreats, square dances, and any other fun activities that we have planned. Despite being born in Florida, she has been raised in West Virginia her entire life and considers it her true home especially with her adopted mother’s family having decades-long roots in Harrison County. In December 2019 she graduated from Fairmont State University, receiving a BA in English Literature and a minor in Folklore Studies. Since June 2020 she has served a number of communities through the AmeriCorps program ranging from Friends of Blackwater in Tucker County, to more recently, West Virginia University’s Center for Community Engagement