For the second year in a row the NY/NJ Folk Arts Roundtable convened in Schenectady, NY! From May 5th to 7th folklorists, artists, arts administrators and tradition bearers gathered for the 42nd time!
We kicked things off on Monday afternoon with Asiyah Kurtz, who instructed us in a quilting activity which attendees participated in throughout the three days and resulted in a beautiful Roundtable Community Quilt!
After Asiyah’s instruction, we began with an important panel and discussion,“ Financial Well-Being through an Economic Justice Lens” featuring longtime Roundtablers, Juan Aguirre and Chief Baba Neil Clarke along with finance management consultant Amy Elaine Smith. The panel was followed by the first of three rounds of our traditional Roundtable sessions. Monday evening we returned to Cornell’s for dinner where we were treated to a delicious meal and short talk by Maria Papa, owner of Cornell’s.
Mira Johnson of Local Learning, started things off Tuesday morning accompanied by Maria and Mateo of Pulso De Barro with “The Artist Introduction: Contextualizing and Storytelling.” During which artists and folklorists had the opportunity to conceptualize artist visits to classrooms. The rest of the day was spent in our Roundtable circle, with presentations on who they are and what they do! There was singing, dancing, storytelling, connecting, brainstorming and of course, applause! Following a delicious and stylish meal at Daley’s on Yates, Roundtable participants made their way to The Mopco Improv Theatre for a brand new Roundtable Session. A small number of artists had the opportunity to perform their presentations in Mopco’s intimate space, storytelling, tin-smithing, music making, and dance were among the performance to be had! Tuesday and maybe even into Wednesday ended back at the hotel with a jam session and game play!
Before we said goodbye on Wednesday morning, there were updates from New York Folklore, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts, Mid Atlantic Folklife Association, and from the growing folk arts field of our neighbors in Delaware! Jill Clause a Haudenosaunee storyteller from Western NY, closed out the Roundtable, leading us in a Thanksgiving Ceremony.
The result of the 2025 Roundtable was a stunning list of resources (available here), conversations, memories, inspiration, and camaraderie.
The entire event was supported, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts through the support of the New York State Legislature, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Thank you so much for joining us in Schenectady! I hope you are feeling connected, encouraged and energized!