Chef David Rule pays homage to the East Tennessee region through a variety of ingredients and dishes at his upscale farm-to-table restaurant, The Appalachian, in downtown Sevierville, Tn. “There’s also a connotation that comes with Appalachia that I don’t really like,” Rule said. “A lot of people think overalls, bare feet, and moonshine and it’s very much why we designed the restaurant so when you walk in, you’re surrounded by barnwood and then once you get past that you have more refinement... For me, it’s about trying to redefine some of those narrow connotations. Appalachia doesn’t necessarily have to be just beans and cornbread. It can be a lot more.”
Earah Reed, 12, of Caldwell, Ohio, watches as her fellow competitors participate in the 2022 Noble County Fair Fun 4-H Horse Show on Friday Sept. 2, 2022. The Fun Fair Horse Show is filled with various activities for competitors to participate in and celebrate the final day of the 2022 fair season.
Tarriona Ball, lead vocalist of Tank and the Bangas, performs a secret show at Barley's Taproom during the Rhythm and Blooms Festival in downtown Knoxville, Tenn. on May 17, 2019.
Purrfect Storm of the Appalachian Hell Betties in Athens Skatepark. Sept. 2022.
Chautauqua School of Dance students participate in a group hug backstage before the Chautauqua School of Dance Student Gala II in Chautauqua, N.Y. Sunday Aug. 14, 2022. The gala included performances by both Festival and Pre-Professional Division students and was the last student gala of the 2022 season.
My sibling, Johnica “Johni” Hubbard, 16, of Knoxville, Tenn. poses for a portrait in their bedroom in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Hubbard has created art since they began elementary school and plan to pursue art as a career after graduating high school. When asked about their creative process, Hubbard said they just “kind of boogy around” and express whatever they are feeling on paper or canvas. “I feel like my sexuality can definitely play a role in my art. I like drawing female bodies and showing all different types of women, rather than men,” Hubbard said.
Eric Vasquez in the studio. Feb. 2020
Miss Lady Dior, 26, of Huntington, W.V. applies fake eyelashes before performing in a drag show fundraiser hosted by the Southeastern Ohio Rainbow Alliance and Alzheimer’s Association at Eclipse Company Store in the Plains, Ohio on Sept. 26, 2021. “I love being surrounded by these fierce girls and just getting to be myself. I could honestly do this every day,” Dior said.
Shonda Judy, 60, of Cynthiana, Ky., relaxes with a bubble bath after volunteering at the Cynthiana Animal Shelter. She uses passion for photography to help local animals get adopted. Shonda volunteers at the shelter by taking portraits of the animals and posting them on social media with a brief story about the animals' personality. "Dogs that I take pictures of and post don't get adopted because they look at it and think 'Oh I need a husky!'" she says. "They adopt the animal because they see a post and a picture of a dog named Jimmy who has a red pickup truck and they think 'Oh my grandpa's name was Jimmy and he drove a red pickup truck too! That dog needs me and I need that dog!' They can feel that connection with the animals and put a personality to the name."