Join us for events throughout the academic year that explore the Campus Theme.
The committee is planning, reviewing, and approving events on a rolling basis and will add events here as neccessary. The majority of events will be listed in , WCU's main hub for organizations on campus and event listings!
A Stranger No More: George Masa and His Art
Exhibit Open: January 17, 2025 through August 15, 2025
Born Shoji Endo in 1885, George Masa immigrated from Japan to the US at the age of twenty-four. He settled in Asheville in 1915 and soon opened his own photography studio. Masa鈥檚 love for the mountains and hiking led him to photograph many iconic scenes and views. These in turn drew tourists to the area and inspired writers to advocate for the natural beauty of western North Carolina. "A Stranger No More: George Masa and His Art鈥� introduces the life and photography of George Masa to a new generation who benefit from his visual rhetoric. The exhibit focuses attention on an under-recognized yet impactful voice in early conservation efforts of the Smoky Mountains. As the Carolina Mountain Club described Masa in 1960, he was 鈥渢he stranger who stirred us to such depths of love for our wilderness,鈥� The MHC recently acquired Masa鈥檚 camera and tripod and Hunter Library's Special Collections received a large donation of original Masa images. These artifacts serve as the exhibition鈥檚 fulcrum, complemented with photographic prints, some never before seen.
For more information, please visit the Mountain Heritage Center Located in Hunter Library or visit their website.