May 26, 2017
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jim Good, of Roane County, received the 2017 Vandalia Award on Friday, May 26, during the annual Vandalia Gathering at the State Capitol this year. The Vandalia Award is the highest folk life award that is presented by the state of West Virginia. It celebrates the heritage, spirit and wonder of West Virginians who are dedicated to the preservation, promotion and presentation of folk life traditions.
For over 44 years, Good has been playing and making dulcimers in the hills of the Mountain State. A native of West Virginia, Good’s dulcimers have gained an international reputation. His work is a tribute to his creativity, ingenuity and talent.
Handcrafted with his own touch with native West Virginia hardwoods and exotic woods, these instruments produce one of the most unique sounds in the world. And, while exceptional musicians treasure the dulcimers made by Good, there are many young musicians whose first – only – and favorite dulcimer have come from Mastertone Dulcimers. He handcrafts each dulcimer with a beautiful arched top and bottom, producing one of the finest and most unique sounds of any dulcimer in the world.
Jim and his wife, Brenda, have been inducted into the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair Hall of Fame for their four decades of work with that event. Their dulcimers have won numerous awards and are cherished by some of the greatest dulcimers players in West Virginia and around the world. They have shared their dulcimers with the public at nearly every Vandalia Gathering since the first one in 1977.
The mountain dulcimer is one of the only musical instruments that emerged from the mountains of Appalachia and one of the few instruments that originated in the United States.
For more information about the Vandalia Gathering and the Vandalia Award, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner for the division, at (304) 558-0220.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
Media Note: Photos of Jim Good can be found at http://wvculture.zenfolio.com/p200666824.
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