Madeline Fuentes studies how place-based architecture and design influences cultural and political identities, intentionally and unintentionally. Her work on vernacular design centers how communities interact with their natural landscapes and how information travels across those landscapes. She investigates these subjects through archival and in-person research, as well as through her own practices of making and educating. Madeline’s primary region of focus for this research is Appalachia, where she has spent much of her life living and working. Prior to attending BGC, Madeline earned a BA in English from the University of Vermont, worked as an environmental educator in Appalachian Virginia, and apprenticed to a woodworker. She takes this interdisciplinary approach to the arts, humanities, and education with her to her current work in the public humanities.

Qualifying Paper: Adorning the Log Cabin: Changing Narratives of Architecture and Appalachian Identity at Pine Mountain Settlement School