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,...
Common Ground: Folk Arts, Cultural Heritage, and Equity
Photo: Aziz Peerzada and his 11-year old son Saboor perform a beautiful set of Punjabi folk songs at the 2016 Brooklyn Arts Council Festival. On November 23, 2020, I attended a virtual Zoom hearing on the decision by the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) to cancel...
Egyptian Saidi Dance
In this guest blogpost, Dancer and linguist, Torkom Moysesiyan provides a glimpse into the ancient Egyptian dance of Saidi. Saidi originates in Upper Egypt and is danced by both women and men. "Saidi dates back to ancient Egypt. It is an Egyptian folkloric dance that...
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...
A Labor of Mourning: September 7 – 11, 2020
Starting on Monday, September 7 and running through Friday, September 11, people throughout the country will create grassroots memorials dedicated to naming the lost who have died from Covid-19. In homes and yards, on street corners and stoops, in cities from Portland...
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...