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Who We Are

Defining Our Field

What do we mean by "folk" or "traditional" arts? Defining the field is an ongoing matter of discussion and debate. We welcome your input, and we will present a variety of voices on this issue. A good beginning point is this commentary by Daniel Sheehy, Director of Folk Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts:

The arts we often call "folk" and/or "traditional" possess the intrinsic value and beauty as aesthetic activities and objects of admiration that we associate with the fine arts, but at the same time, they reflect much more. By definition, they are learned as a part of the cultural heritage of a group of people whose members share a common ethnic heritage, language, religion, occupation, or culturally united geographic region. Consequently, they reflect that cultural heritage in a deeper, broader sense, and, they often are held up publicly as symbols representing that group. For [Native American basketmaker] Mary Gabriel Mitchell, her basketry expresses "her life" -- both her deep devotion to her artistry and her Passamaquoddy heritage. When a young Passamaquoddy person learns to gather, prepare, and weave splints from the brown ash tree from which baskets are woven, he or she also learns tales that tell of the of the tree=s sacred connection to the tribe’origins, of the role of the baskets in traditional lifeways, of influential basketmakers, and other important cultural knowledge. "You weave slowly so you can hear more stories," said one apprentice.

As the electronic media, growing population, and increased mobility make the multiplicity of our nation's cultural heritage and our cultural differences more visible in daily life, traditional artistic forms such as Passamaquoddy baskets increasingly have become touchstones of cultural identity, used to publicly proclaim and explain one's cultural values, forms, and distinctiveness. Amish quilting, Puerto Rican plena music, Hawaiian hula, cowboy poetry, African-American gospel music, Chinese opera, Irish reels, Sephardic song are emblems of those cultural groups as well as forms of artistic expression. Another National Heritage Fellow, Hardanger embroiderer Najeschda Overgaard of Elk Horn, Iowa, expressed the determination to maintain a distinctive cultural identity typical of many Americans in the late twentieth century: "We certainly were American, but I treasure my Danish heritage. . . . I was brought up Danish, and I'm not satisfied with a substitute."

This is not to say that the folk and traditional arts are static and unchanging ethnic emblems. While it may be true that they evolve slower than other art forms because of the collective nature of their learning, practice, and meaning, most traditions are marked by a creative liveliness that reflects the free, democratic spirit of American life. Accordion-driven Texas-Mexican conjunto music, for example, today is thought of as a symbol of Texas-Mexican identity. Its early twentieth-century roots, though, drew from the music of German and Polish immigrants to the region, and its future seems linked to country music, amplified dance orchestras, and other popular music. As the function of many craft forms -- Native American baskets, quilts, decoy carving, and saddlemaking, to name but a few of the hundreds of American craft traditions -- becomes less utilitarian and more an "object of beauty," perhaps to be purchased by collectors of art, the form evolves as well, with more intense ornamentation, finer finishing, or new format better suited for display. The evolution of folk and traditional arts both follow and lead the evolution of the cultural group they represent.

How do we at the National Endowment for the Arts see our role in assisting this vast field of arts marked by cultural difference and geographic breadth? Simply put, we see two general needs: 1) access to our own heritage, and the opportunity to understand and appreciate the heritage of others. As the rate of societal change accelerates and Americans change residence more frequently, the access to one's own cultural heritage cannot be taken for granted. Programs such as apprenticeships and instructional workshops offer younger generations the possibility of learning important skills and aesthetic concepts, as well as spending more time with older generations. As one apprentice put it, "[The apprenticeship program] gave the elders some incentive to take the time with some of the younger generation." In Maryland, classes sponsored by the Cambodian-American Heritage Association allow young Cambodian-Americans to study ancient court dance traditions with first-rate dance masters. In Montana, an intensive apprenticeship with veteran saddlemaker Rex Cook taught Peggy Langley the finer points of that tradition, and she went on to became an accomplished saddlemaker and resident artist in local schools. In Montpelier, Vermont, the Vermont Folklife Center offers educational materials, exhibitions, and other public programs giving Vermonters a view of their regional traditions.

Since the folk and traditional arts are typically localized and practiced mainly within specific cultural networks, they may not be known or understood by the broad American public. Festivals, tours, and exhibitions bring our diverse and exciting cultural mosaic to public attention. The National Folk Festival, currently held in East Lansing, Michigan in August and organized by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, presents a sampling of the best folk artistry from many different communities and cultural backgrounds around the country. The People's Poetry Gathering, organized by City Lore Inc. in New York City, presents the composed poetry of Western ranching people, Puerto Rican improvised décimas (ten-line stanzas), African immigrant epic narratives, and many other poetic traditions. Texas Folklife Resources, Inc. in Austin tours some of that state=s best performing artists of Mexican, Anglo, Czech, African-American, and other cultural backgrounds to small towns in rural regions of the Lone Star State. The Arts Endowment's National Heritage Fellowship program both recognizes and rewards outstanding folk and traditional arts for outstanding achievement and contributions to our nation's cultural life, but also brings to broad public attention the vigor, excellence, and diversity of our cultural patrimony.

Dan Sheehy, Director, Folk Arts
National Endowment for the Arts

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