For my master’s thesis I explored how community, education, and cultural appreciation relate to artistic creation.  I selected a very distinct type of common art, Appalachian folk art, to demonstrate that these concepts extend well beyond museums, universities, and the typical sources of cultural knowledge.  Through combining the roles and methodologies of four essential institutions: the art center, school, museum, and library, I developed a project that would utilize their strengths while mitigating their weaknesses.  A main facility in Front Royal, Virginia anchors the project, rooting it at the top of Shenandoah National Park, an important gateway to the Appalachian region.  Portable workshops in custom designed trucks allow rotating artisans to travel throughout the region, teaching the history and methods of their craft.  To access a broad audience, these trucks dock at numerous satellite stations with varying degrees of development: a full platform and gallery in urban locations, a partial shelter in smaller towns, and a mere utility hookup in rural areas.   By showcasing the artists’ backgrounds and making their techniques more accessible, this project will emphasize the importance of the creative process over the final product of it.