Urban Appalachian Stories Come to Life at Downtown Cincinnati Library
We’re proud to announce that the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) hosts the Urban Appalachian Kith and Kin exhibit from now through December 2025 at the Catherine C. and Thomas E. Huenefeld Story Center, located at CHPL’s Main Library, 800 Vine Street in downtown Cincinnati.
The public is invited to the opening reception on Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 2-4 PM, where guests can enjoy live performances and complimentary refreshments throughout the event.
This compelling collection, presented by the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition (UACC), explores the past and present of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s urban Appalachian community through photography, oral history, artifacts and interactive media.
Save the dates:
Sunday, October 19 | 2-4 pm
2nd Floor Story Center, Downtown Cincinnati Library
Opening Reception
Hear from exhibit experts and the city’s newest poet laureate as you explore Perceptions of Home, enjoy down-home bites and sway to music from the mountains.
Sunday, November 9 | 2-4 pm
3 South Huenefeld Tower Room, Downtown Cincinnati Library
Celebrations of Home: Honoring the Past, Building for the Future
An open house, community-centered gathering to celebrate UACC’s elders and recruit new leadership for a bright future. UACC’s Kith and Kin story gatherers will be on hand to collect stories of family and home, so bring a photo or object that says “family” to you.
Wednesday, December 3 | 6:15 – 8 pm
2nd Floor Story Center, Downtown Cincinnati Library
Place Keepers Winter Solstice Branch Fest
A creative open mic inspired by the theme of growth and connection. Share your poems, songs, stories, or art—or just come to enjoy the voices of local artists and neighbors.
These events are free and open to the public.
About UACC
The Urban Appalachian Community Coalition (UACC) is an alliance of individuals and organizations committed to the well-being of Appalachian people, communities and cultural expression in the greater Cincinnati area. UACC’s mission is to provide an organizational structure through which urban Appalachians in the Cincinnati region can build mutual support, promote awareness of urban Appalachian people’s contributions, and take action to address common concerns.
Our Calling:
We believe in the irrepressible spirit of the Appalachian people, and that the nurturing of that spirit benefits Greater Cincinnati through our:
- Wisdom informed by both our Appalachian heritage and our urban experiences;
- Resistance to threats to individual, family, and community well-being;
- Respect for community as both place and the people who live there;
- Artistic and cultural expressions of who we were and are;
- Inclusiveness that recognizes how people are alike rather than different;
- Advocacy on behalf of those whose voices have not been heard.
Our History:
UACC traces it origin to the 1964 founding of the Main Street Bible Center, which served Appalachian migrants chiefly in Over-the-Rhine. The Urban Appalachian Council was established in 1974 and provided services to Cincinnati Appalachians for forty years. In 2014, the service components were absorbed by other organizations and UACC was established as a coalition. Overall we have served Cincinnati Appalachians for more than a half-century, with the chief founders of the organization still active.
Our Values:
The Urban Appalachian Community Coalition embraces Appalachian and wider-community diversity and actively works for justice and cultural awareness in our Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods and beyond. UACC projects and community collaborations promote cultural curiosity, inclusive designs, place stewardship, and open respect for individual and group differences.
The UACC mission and programs prioritize intergenerational and cross-cultural exchanges, practical resources, creative expression, and story-listening as transformative community assets. Therefore, UACC members publicly stand against acts of racism and oppressive behaviors. With intention, we work to change systems that cause people harm or perpetuate group-specific prejudice. Inspired by the adaptive spirit of Appalachian culture, our organization actively celebrates our Greater Cincinnati’s region’s diverse migration and storytelling traditions.