Montes, a Columbia storyteller, was the featured guest at the Center's inaugural event. Shelagh just returned from a trip to England, where she was researching stories. The true storyteller is more concerned with conveying the story itself, and less about acting. The emphasis is on the word and the whole story. Though some people may dismiss storytelling as child's play, many recognize its importance as a chronicle.
Stories can be about people, places, events, even supernatural beings.
But they are all ways of preserving folklore and culture through the telling of stories. These stories are records that tell us who we were, who we are, who we might become. They are a vital way to preserve our culture. The Center's grand opening, which will feature several storytellers, is slated for this fall.