From the Ground
Soul of Athens 2022 Logo | By Cheri Marshall

Soul of Athens is an annual multimedia project...

produced by graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University.

In Southeast Ohio, the passions of driven individuals help define the soul of the region. From artists to goat farmers, explore the stories below of Athens and Southeast Ohio as a whole through the lens of various resources that have come to define the region’s past: coal, timber, clay, farmland, and natural land. The past uses of these resources have left their mark on the land for better or for worse. Some individuals find new and creative ways to use this land to make a living and explore their passions.

As the need for farmland increased the forest coverage decreased, until the reforestation process began.

natural land

From folk artists to trappers, the industry has long been crucial to the livelihoods of many

coal

From historical mining towns to the preservation of their culture, the industry has long been crucial to the livelihoods of many

timber

From wood carvers to sustainable loggers, the industry has long been crucial to the livelihoods of many

clay

From pipes to potters, the industry has long been crucial to the livelihoods of many

farm

From generational farms to sustainable businesses, the industry has long been crucial to the livelihoods of many

groupCaption

Natural Land

Dylan Benedict
Content Curation

Lindsay Katz
Design

Sarah Rubsam
User Experience

Hunter Thiede
Developer

groupCaption

Coal

Jesse Jarrold-Grapes
Content Curation

Kayleigh Hutcheson
Design

Brad Cunningham
User Experience

Nick Bellisario
User Experience

Hunter Thiede
Developer

groupCaption

Timber

Avery Waffen
Content Curation

Sam Warren
Content Curation

Cherilynn Marshall
Design

Mackenzie Kress
User Experience

Brianna Lender
Lead Developer

groupCaption

Clay

Isabella Huelsman
Content Curation

Maggie Old
Design

Owen Zeiler
Design

Lauren Pallotto
User Experience

Keith Robinson
User Experience

Brianna Lender
Lead Developer

groupCaption

Farming

Laura Bilson
Content Curation

Mitch Suder
Design

Savannah Walpole
User Experience

Kevin Lanier
Developer

groupCaption

General

Lauren Bangs
Project Manager / Design

Anthony Marrone
Social Media

Adam Schutz
Copy Editor

Stan Alost
Faculty Supervisor / Contact

Abel Jarrahi
Faculty Supervisor