New York Folklore

Mohawk Hudson Folklife Festival

Mohawk Hudson Folklife Festival

The Capital District (Albany and Rensselaer Counties) Upstate Regional Initiative is ending with a BANG this Fall. On October 3rd from Noon to 5 pm join us in Albany's Washington Park at the Lake House Amphitheater for the Mohawk Hudson Folklife Festival. The festival...

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

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

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

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

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...

Taylor Swift Asks us to Reflect on the meaning of “folklore”

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...

May 2020: 20 Folk Artists/20 Days

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...

75th Anniversary Year in Review

75th Anniversary Year in Review

As we close the books on 2019, I want to thank everyone for a fantastic and celebratory 75th anniversary year. New York Folklore was founded in 1944 by Louis Jones and Harold Thompson, two close friends and folklore colleagues who had a vision for a folklore...

The Birth of New York Folklore: 1944

The Birth of New York Folklore: 1944

Image: Louis C. Jones, 1950 New York Folklore celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1944. The New York Folklore Society was formed as an offshoot of the New York State Historical Association and had the blessing of then-NYSHA President, Ryan Dixon Fox, an...

NYSCA New York State Folk Arts Roundtable in Utica

NYSCA New York State Folk Arts Roundtable in Utica

This year’s NYSCA New York State Folk Arts Roundtable took place in Utica from April 3-5. The NYSCA New York State Folk Arts Roundtable is a professional development meeting and convening that draws the state’s folklorists and traditional arts professionals for three...

New York Folklore Opens Inaugural Exhibit

New York Folklore Opens Inaugural Exhibit

New York Folklore opened its exhibition gallery with an exhibition of ebru paintings by Hatice Erbas-Sorkunlu. Hatice Erbas-Sorkunlu is an ebru artist originally from Turkey, currently living in Buffalo. Hatice studied the traditional Turkish tile art of çini at...

New Staff for the New Year

New Staff for the New Year

As New York Folklore embarks on new projects and programs in 2019, I am pleased to welcome two new additions to our staff. Kira Born is not new to our organization, as she (along with Chibuikem Ajulu-Okeke) designed and wrote our new website....