Folk and Traditional Artists pursue an art form or activity that is rooted within their community, family, and/or heritage. This form of artistic expression is often learned over time through repeated experience and purposeful or informal teaching. These one-on-one or...
Ellen McHale
North Country Folklorist, Varick Chittenden Receives the Prestigious Benjamin A Botkin Award from the American Folklore Society
Each year, the Public Programs Section of the American Folklore Society joins with the AFS Executive Board to award the Benjamin A. Botkin Prize. This annual award honors an individual for significant lifetime achievement in public folklore. New York Folklore joins...
Welcome to Mira Johnson as the New York Folklore in Education Network Coordinator
Felix Nelson, conducting a dance lesson as part of a Ghanaian drumming and dance residency as part of the Schoharie River Center's Middleburgh, NY Advantage Afterschool Program in 2021. Photo by Ellen McHale Local Learning and New York Folklore are pleased to...
New York Folklore Adds New Staff and Board
Here we grow again! As we look towards new projects and programs for 2021 and in the future, New York Folklore is growing - with new leadership and members for the Board of Directors, and with the addition of several new staff members and partnerships.In partnership...
New York Folklore Annual Meeting and Election on January 16, 2021
The Board of Directors of New York Folklore requests your presence at the Annual Meeting of New York Folklore, to take place on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.
The link to attend can be found here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-york-folklore-annual-meeting-and-election-tickets-135346584277
The meeting agenda will include remarks from outgoing President, Tom van Buren and President-elect Maria Kennedy; a report from Executive Director Ellen McHale; and opportunities to interact with other members and attendees.
Please plan to join us for this celebratory event!
The slate for members and officers of the Board of Directors of New York Folklore is to be presented as follows: Maria Kennedy, President; James Hall, Vice President; Members Evelyn D’Agostino-Sasso, MacKenzie Kwok, Ed Millar, Wilfredo Morel, and William Walker.
Gratitude
Gratitude. That is a difficult word to embrace this year, as we collectively battled a pandemic, a tumultuous election, and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives – some of whom were friends, neighbors, and family. However, I would like to take this moment to...
Folk Arts Education in K-12 Educational Settings
Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education has been doing innovative work in New York State through its annual Culture, Community and the Classroom workshops. The Culture, Community and the Classroom workshops take place over several days,...
New Yorkers Honor the Dead through Día de los Muertos
The Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration that spans centuries. In its trajectory through the ages, the celebration has received influences from indigenous peoples, Catholicism, regional differences, and the creativity of those...
New York Folklore Distributes Relief Funds for Artists Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
New York Folklore is pleased to announce the disbursement of funds totaling $11,000.00 to benefit folk and traditional artists in New York State. These funds are made possible through the generosity of donors from throughout the United States, including support from...
Taylor Swift Asks us to Reflect on the meaning of “folklore”
The July 23, 2020 release of Taylor Swift’s new album, Folklore, begs the question, “What is folklore?”. Refinery 29, the media and entertainment company dedicated to women’s perspectives, asks, “what does folklore mean anyway?” Natalie Morin, writing for Refinery...
Business 101 Training for Folk and Traditional Artists
New York Folklore is offering a series of workshops related to teaching business and marketing skills to folk artists. This virtual series is open to twelve individuals/traditional artists and will involve online webinars conducted through Zoom. Each webinar will take...
New York Folklore, Equity, and the Black Lives Matter Movement
New York Folklore was founded in 1944 with the strong belief in cultural equity and the importance of the participation and involvement of diverse individuals to make an inclusive society in America. The recognition and appreciation of folklore and folklife draws...
New York State Folklore Covid-19 Relief Fund
New York Folklore is raising money to benefit the "New York State Folklore Covid-19 Relief Fund." Your donations will make an impact. We hope to raise $10,000 by June 1, 2020 to assist folk and traditional artists with emergency grants. The Initiative: With the money...
May 2020: 20 Folk Artists/20 Days
On May 1, 2020, New York Folklore and folklore programs across New York State will launch a collaboration to present traditional arts and culture from throughout New York State. Each weekday in May, from 4:00 -4:30 p.m., traditional arts activities will be presented...
Altered States of Place
The “places” that are important to us are currently in a state of re-definition. As we experience social distancing to address the Covid-19 pandemic, our work spaces and our personal spaces are now one and the same. My kitchen table – that place where pies are...