Black Mountain College Collections
Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others, the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the role of the arts and creative thinking. Black Mountain College itself was owned by the faculty, with students playing a significant role in the decision making process. Although grades were kept for transfer purposes, they were not used to evaluate a student's progress. Both faculty and students participated in the work program, which included the daily chores necessary for the upkeep of the school. Despite the fact that Black Mountain College could rarely offer faculty more than room and board, a number of important teachers and artists were drawn to the school as part of the regular faculty or to participate in the school's Summer Institutes. However, in 1956 the school closed due to low student enrollment and dwindling funds.
To find out more about Black Mountain College, please visit our Black Mountain College online exhibit or search the MARS online catalog. More images and documents can be found in the North Carolina Digital Collections.
Note: the Black Mountain College collections are some of the materials moving to the new Western Regional Archives. A complete list of collections (PDF) moving to the Western Regional Archives is now available online; visit our blog for more information.
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