Alma Douglas, the National Outreach Manager for Smithsonian Affiliations, presents Heritage Farm Foundation Executive Director Audy Perry with a certificate declaring Heritage Farm Museum and Village to be West Virginia’s first Smithsonian Institute Affiliate on Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Heritage Farm Museum and Village has achieved a new level of recognition and entered a new realm of possibilities.
It’s been named West Virginia’s first Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, a distinction that will link Heritage Farm with the many resources and learning opportunities available through the Smithsonian, said Audy Perry, the new executive director of the Heritage Farm Foundation.
Heritage Farm was founded in 1996 by his mother, Henriella, and his late father, Mike Perry, who died in February. Under their leadership the farm has grown exponentially in its exhibits and programs, all in an effort to give young generations a chance to learn about and celebrate the ingenuity and culture of Appalachia’s early settlers.
“A lot of you have expressed condolences on Dad’s passing, which was two weeks ago today,” Perry said during a press conference at the farm Wednesday. “Boy, would he have loved today … It’s not the end. It’s a new beginning…
