Savage Mountain Punk Arts is an organization dedicated to the role of punk arts in a variety of media (most notably music, visual arts, fashion, and literature) in Appalachian culture from the 1970's to today in a regional, national, and international context. This includes, but is not limited to, the presentation and exhibition of punk arts, educational efforts about the broader cultural importance of punk, and support for the creation and distribution of new works.
Savage Mountain Punk Arts is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and production of punk arts in northern Appalachia with a focus on Western Maryland and the surrounding area. Punk rock is often considered a city art form with a focus on London, New York, and Los Angeles, but punk rock exploded in smaller cities, too.
The history of punk mirrors the history of traditional Appalachian music: rebel music with a focus on working class concerns. Horror punk songs are just contemporary Murder Ballads with 50s monster movie seasonings. Old time music’s focus on community over proficiency mirrors much of punk’s focus on scene and simplicity.
Unfortunately, this history is slowly disappearing: people have moved out of the area, and others from the first generation of punk bands in Cumberland and Frostburg have passed away. We are working to build and maintain a timeline and archive of these bands, the zines, and music of the last forty-five years of regional punk rock. And in so doing, helping revive the scene with a new generation of punk venues and punk bands.
More, Savage Mountain Punk Arts is dedicated to the underground arts beyond music—from literature to visual arts, from fashion to film and video , we’re celebrating and cultivating a community of outsider artists from across Western Maryland and across the broader Appalachian region. By teaming up with the annual Appalachian Festival at Frostburg State University and regional Arts Walk programming, SMPA is committed to doing educational outreach on these topics.
