Born in Armenia, I spent my childhood in the historical Armenian highlands of Artsakh where my grandparents indulged me in various traditional arts and crafts. A master of needlework, my grandma fashioned ornate and beautiful linens embroidered with traditional...
Jianling (Ling) Yue teaches Chinese language and culture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. Her teaching and academic pursuits have earned her numerous awards and commendations. Jianling is also an expert in Chinese paper-cutting (or paper-cut)...
Tai Chi philosophy, one of the pillars of Chinese culture, is intricately connected to the theories of the five elements and Yin and Yang. These principles permeate various aspects of Chinese culture, including medicine, martial arts, and traditional painting. With...
Tonia Loran-Galban (Mohawk, Bear Clan) resides in Farmington, New York and is a Haudenosaunee Culture Bearer.  She is a native traditional basket maker who has worked at Ganondagan State Historic Site (site of a 17thcentury Seneca Town) in Victor, NY as a Senior...
Sara Milonovich is an award-winning songwriter and fiddler from the Mohawk Valley who performs nationally and internationally with her alt-country band, Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter. A 2023 winner of the Bluebird Golden Pick Contest (Bluebird Cafe/Taylor...
Meet Ahmad Shah Wali Flying a kite is one of the most exhilarating experiences a child or an adult can have. A sense of pride, joy, and accomplishment washes over them as their eyes watch this object that they built fly into the sky. Flying kites helps family...
Hayden Haynes is an antler carving artist working deeply in cultural arts revitalization and teaching. Born in Claremore, OK, Hayden grew up on the Seneca-Cattaraugus Territory in Western New York. It is from here where he draws inspiration related to land, history,...
Vicie A. Rolling of "Framing the Past", is a storyteller and oral historian who concentrates on telling the stories of African American life in the twentieth century. She says, "With historical research, I craft dialogue and narratives of their lives. I sometimes...
DEVESH CHANDRA has been learning the Tabla since the age of 3. He learned Indian Classical Music by accompanying his mother, renowned Sitar exponent Veena Chandra and he continues to perform with her. Their mother and son duo has received national and international...
Helen Condon learned the art of rag rug braiding over fifty years ago from her grandmother, Sarah Campbell Taylor, who taught her how to make braided rugs using discarded, wool clothing. Using the skills in braiding and matching colors learned at thirteen years old,...
                              ZORKIE NELSON is a master percussionist, traditional flute player and vocalist specializing in the Ga cultural tradition. Born into a family of musicians in the West African city of Accra, Ghana, Zorkie has studied music since the age of...
Noah Khoury is a second generation blacksmith, as his father was a blacksmith and a welder. In his teenage years, he worked alongside his father,  teaching middle-school aged youth at a summer workshop program in Altamont, NY called the Helderberg Workshops. After...
Zhong-hua Lu, who was born in 1958, learned Chinese brush painting from his father and five uncles in Shandong Province, China, beginning at age five. Currently, he has taught traditional Chinese Arts, including Tai Chi and Chinese brush painting, at Mass MOCA,...
Tashi Sharzur AKA Techung Techung began his study of Tibetan performing arts at the age of nine at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in India. After moving to the US, he co-founded the San Francisco-based Chaksampa Tibetan Dance & Opera Company in 1989,...
Veena Chandra is an internationally renowned sitarist, composer, teacher, and choreographer. She is the founder and director of the Dance and Music School of India in Latham, NY, which celebrates over thirty years. She has been a faculty member at Skidmore College...