LIST OF FOLK ARTS & FOLKLORE RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
U.S. ORGANIZATIONS – BY STATE
CALIFORNIA
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Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Fresno and San Francisco, California
(http://www.actaonline.org)
The Alliance for California Traditional Arts promotes and supports ways for cultural traditions to
thrive now and into the future by providing advocacy, resources, and connections for folk and
traditional artists. From Ohlone basketry and African-American quilt-making to cowboy poetry
and Vietnamese opera, California is home to hundreds of diverse traditions.
ACTA connects artists, communities, and funders to each other, information, and resources
through grants and contracts, convenings, research, and technical assistance. ACTA also
provides advocacy through local and national field-building. Recognized for its culturally
competent leadership, intellectual capital, and excellence in program administration, ACTA is the
California Arts Council's official partner in serving the state's folk and traditional arts field.
o Sample report: Weaving Traditional Arts into the Fabric of Community Health:
http://www.actaonline.org/sites/default/files/images/docs/briefing.pdf
Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center, Richmond, California (www.loscenzontles.com )
Los Cenzontles is a band, a nonprofit organization, a music academy, a community space for
youth and families, and a hub for Latino artists – all working in tandem to amplify our Mexican
roots here in the Bay Area and beyond.
We produce original music, videos, and educational tools. We teach classes to hundreds of local
youth in traditional Mexican music, dance, and arts and crafts. We host many popular community
events throughout the year.
FLORIDA
 The Hannibal Square Heritage Center http://www.hannibalsquareheritagecenter.org/aboutus.html - represents a first-of-a-kind
experience in Central Florida where the history of a community is told by members of the
community itself through The Heritage Collection: Photographs and Oral Histories of West
Winter Park, The Hannibal Square Timeline, which chronicles significant local and national
events in civil rights and African-American history, and public art installations and educational
programs that explore the African-American experience, southern folklore and cultural
preservation. The center also features a Visiting Exhibition Series. The exhibitions and programs
held at the center weave the stories of this unique and proud neighborhood together with AfricanAmerican history and experience in general.
ILLINOIS
 Chicago Cultural Alliance, Chicago, Illinois (www.chicagoculturalalliance.org )
The Chicago Cultural Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and consortium of Chicago's
ethnic museums, cultural centers, and historical societies whose mission is to effect social change
and public understanding of cultural diversity through first voice perspectives. The Alliance
connects our member museums and centers to flagship arts and cultural institutions, universities,
schools, businesses and government agencies.
 Global Voices Performing Arts Program, University of Chicago http://ihouse.uchicago.edu/programs/programs_gv_arts.shtml The Global Voices Program
provides a showcase for all performing arts at the University of Chicago's International House.
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The International House Global Voices Performing Arts Program has established a vibrant
exchange with a wide range of Chicago-area cultural institutions, arts organizations, dance
companies, ethnic and folk arts groups, and music and theater groups. Programs showcase
individual artists as well as performing arts groups and support educational programs, art
exhibitions and cultural celebrations throughout the year.
The Chinese Fine Arts Society - http://chinesefinearts.org/about/mission/ Founded in 1984, the
Chinese Fine Arts Society is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of Chinese culture,
enhancing cultural exchange and pursuing excellence in Chinese music, dance and visual
arts.
MASSACHUSETTS
 Keepers of Tradition – Traditional Arts and Folk Heritage Blog
(http://blog.massfolkarts.org/blog/) by the Massachusetts Cultural Council
(http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/programs/apprenticeships.asp)
MINNESOTA
 State Arts Board - Folk and Traditional Arts - http://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/machffata.htm
Folk and Traditional Arts is a pilot program designed to support the artistic traditions and
customs practiced within community and/or cultural groups by identifying, documenting,
preserving, presenting, and honoring Minnesota’s folk arts and traditions. The practice of folk or
traditional art generally stems from birthright, community membership, or direct participation in
the life of a community.
 “Minnesota Potters: Sharing the Fire” http://www.anokaramsey.edu/Fire.aspx The vision of
“Minnesota Potters: Sharing the Fire” is to document how ceramic art is passed on from artist to
artist to keep this vibrant tradition and community flourishing. The project will document the
work of representative Minnesota ceramic artists, their methods of working with clay, and the
way they pass on their skills. The project’s goal is to develop an understanding of the Minnesota
ceramics community to share with the public, cultivating broader participation in and enjoyment
of the ceramic arts. Meet the Artists…….
o Related websites:
http://www.anokaramsey.edu/en/Sharing%20The%20Fire%20Pages/Related%20Website
s.aspx
o Northern Clay Center: http://www.northernclaycenter.org/about_us/index.php
 North House Folk School - http://www.northhouse.org/index.htm
 Minnesota Discovery Center's Folk Arts program www.mndiscoverycenter.com/museum/events-programs/folkarts
MISSISSIPPI
 Mississippi Folklife and Folk Artists Directory (http://www.arts.state.ms.us/folklife/)
NEVADA
 The Folklife Program of the Nevada Arts Council
(http://nac.nevadaculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1400&Itemid=4
09)
The Folklife Program of the Nevada Arts Council seeks to discover, understand, document, and
support significant cultural traditions wherever they arise. Some of our grant programs encourage
individual folk and traditional artists and practitioners to preserve and perpetuate their art forms
and lifeways. Other grants support community engagement with traditional festivals and
celebrations, foodways, and performance. Our education initiatives promote collaboration
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between traditional artists and schools or community groups in support of hands-on learning
opportunities for all ages.
o COMMUNITY CULTURAL PROJECTS
Folklife staff will come to your community and help you design and implement
community Folklife research and documentation projects. Contact the Program
Coordinator for more information.
o Artist Roster:
http://nac.nevadaculture.org/?option=com_content&task=view&id=1345&Itemid=367
NEW MEXICO
 Museum of International Folk Art - http://www.internationalfolkart.org/about/about.html - The
mission of the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) is to enrich the human spirit by
connecting people with the arts, traditions, and cultures of the world. Since the opening in
September 1953, MOIFA has gained national and international recognition as an accredited
Museum that is home to the world’s largest collection of folk art. MOIFA explores the dynamics
of artistic expression in the context of cultural change. Through its collections, exhibitions,
publications, and educational programs, the museum expands perceptions of folk art and
encourages dialogue about traditions, cultural identity, community and aesthetics.
 The Fund for Folk Culture - http://walker-foundation.org/info/8886
https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/3850
o Report: “Brave New World: Nurturing the Arts in New Immigrant and Refugee
Communities” Bye, Carolyn. http://hdl.handle.net/2022/6593
NEW YORK
 City Lore, New York City, New York (www.citylore.org )
Founded in 1986, City Lore’s mission is to foster New York City – and America’s – living
cultural heritage through education and public programs. We document, present, and advocate
for New York City’s grassroots cultures to ensure their living legacy in stories and histories,
places and traditions. We work in four cultural domains: urban folklore and history;
preservation; arts education; and grassroots poetry traditions. In each of these realms, we see
ourselves as furthering cultural equity and modeling a better world with projects as dynamic and
diverse as New York City itself.
 Place Matters, New York City, New York (www.placematters.net )
Places connect us to the past, host community and cultural traditions, and keep local
environments distinctive. The Place Matters mission is to foster the conservation of New York
City's historically and culturally significant places. These are places that hold memories and
anchor traditions for individuals and communities, and that help tell the history of the city as a
whole. We are convinced that such places promote the well being of New York's many
communities in ways that too often go unrecognized.
Our process begins with surveying New Yorkers to learn about the places they care about. We
follow up with educational programs and advocacy to promote and protect these places and others
like them.
 Brooklyn Arts Council (http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/folkarts)
Brooklyn Arts Council is proud to help nurture Brooklyn’s traditional artists and preserve our
borough’s diverse heritage though our folk arts program.
 Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) (http://tauny.org/pages/18/3/demonstrationsand-workshops)
o TAUNY sponsors demonstrations and workshops led by outstanding traditional
musicians or craftspersons, producing or teaching such arts as fiddling, social dancing,
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wood carving, rug braiding, basket weaving, Iroquois pottery, balsam wreath making, and
fly tying. (http://tauny.org/pages/18/3/demonstrations-and-workshops)
OHIO
 American Folklore Society (http://www.afsnet.org/) The American Folklore Society website
connects the Society to its members, and also connects folklorists to each other and to the world
at large…
o The American Folklore Society's Folklore in Education Section gives two awards to
recognize excellent work to incorporate folklore into K-12 classrooms and curricula: the
Dorothy Howard Prize, which recognizes projects that encourage K-12 educators or
students to use or study folklore and folkloristic approaches in all educational
environments; and the Robinson-Roeder-Ward Fellowship, which supports K-12
educators with a demonstrated commitment to folklore to attend K-12 folklore workshops
at the AFS annual meeting. Recipients: http://www.afsnet.org/?page=FolkloreEdProjects
OREGON
 The Oregon Folklife Network (OFN) - http://ofn.uoregon.edu/ OFN is the State of Oregon’s
official Folk & Traditional Arts Program. Headquartered at the University of Oregon, the OFN is
housed at the Knight Library and lives administratively in Academic Extension.
The Oregon Folklife Network makes a meaningful difference in Oregon communities and Tribes
by documenting, supporting, and celebrating our diverse cultural traditions and by empowering
our tradition-bearers. The OFN conducts folklife fieldwork and sponsors statewide activities to
increase public awareness of the significance of living cultural heritage and the role of the OFN in
fostering such art forms.
PENNSYLVANIA
 Asian Americans United, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (www.aau.org )
 Folk Arts–Cultural Treasures Charter School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(www.factschool.org )
 Philadelphia Folklore Project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (www.folkloreproject.org )
o “Cultivating Folk Arts and Social Change:” Debora Kodish, AFS 2012 Plenary, Part
One…This past October Debora Kodish gave the plenary address at the annual
meeting of the American Folklore Society. Entitled “Cultivating Folk Arts and
Social Change,” Kodish explored the history of Philadelphia Folklore Project of which
she is the founder. A passionate discussion gleaned from decades worth of deep
community engagement, this short paper is quickly becoming essential reading for
anyone engaged in cultural work and community action. http://boileddownjuice.com/afs2012-plenary-debora-kodish-on-cultivating-folks-arts-and-social-change-part-1/
 Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, (www.phillymagicgardens.org/About) -PMG, a nonprofit
organization, inspires creativity and community engagement by educating the public about folk,
mosaic, and visionary art.
RHODE ISLAND
 The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) http://www.arts.ri.gov/community/ RISCA embraces diversity as a proactive approach essential to our role as a state agency and as a
promoter and supporter of the arts in Rhode Island. In building and serving diverse audiences,
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RISCA affirms and supports the diversity of persons and ideas both within the organization and
throughout the state.
TEXAS
 Texas Folklife (http://www.texasfolklife.org/about-us.html)
Texas Folklife is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and presenting the
diverse cultures and living heritage of the Lone Star State. For 25 years, Texas Folklife has
honored the authentic cultural traditions passed down within communities and explored their
importance in contemporary society…Texas Folklife produces programs throughout the state that
bring Texas traditions to life for new generations, including: Performances, Community
Residencies, Exhibitions, Education programs & Curriculum Materials, Apprenticeships, Radio
and television projects
VERMONT
 Vermont Folklife Center (http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/about.htm)
o Discovering Community Educational Program
(http://www.discoveringcommunity.org/) - offers educators the opportunity to explore the
power of field research as a means to facilitate student engagement with their home
communities. Over the course of an intensive, week-long program participants will work
with cultural researchers, documentary media specialists, artists, and fellow educators in
a learning environment that models an ethnographic approach to community enquiry. The
Institute brings together place as the context, sustainability as the goal, and servicelearning as the strategy.
VIRGINIA
 Folk Art Society of America - http://www.folkart.org/ - The Folk Art Society of America,
founded in 1987, is a nonprofit organization that advocates the documentation, preservation and
exhibition of folk art, folk artists and folk art environments, with an emphasis on the
contemporary. We publish The Folk Art Messenger free to members, and produce an annual
Conference with symposia, special exhibitions and an auction. Our online Calendar lists current,
upcoming and ongoing folk-art-related events and exhibitions.
WASHINGTON DC
 National Museum of the American Indian, ARTIST LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
RECIPIENTS, Washington, DC (http://nmai.si.edu/connect/artist-leadership-program/pastrecipients/)
The Artist Leadership Program for Individual Artists enables indigenous artists to research,
document, and network in Washington, D.C., and then return to their home communities
empowered with new artistic insights, skills, and techniques to share with their communities and
the general public the value of Native knowledge through art. This program aims to rebuild
cultural self-confidence and to enable artists to think more broadly about themselves and their art
while perpetuating Indigenous cultures and reflecting artistic diversity. Artists may apply to the
Artist Leadership Program for Individual Artists in one of two areas:
1. Youth Public Art
2. Artist’s Community Workshop
 The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage http://www.folklife.si.edu/center/contact.aspx is dedicated to the collaborative research,
presentation, conservation, and continuity of traditional knowledge and artistry with diverse
contemporary cultural communities in the United States and around the world.
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The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research and educational unit of the
Smithsonian Institution promoting the understanding and continuity of diverse, contemporary
grassroots cultures in the United States and around the world. The Center produces the
Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, exhibitions, documentary films
and videos, symposia, publications, and educational materials.
WASHINGTON STATE
 Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Seattle, Washington
(http://www.wingluke.org/home.htm)
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience is dedicated to immersing people
in uniquely-American stories of survival, success, struggle, conflict, compassion and hope. The
Museum is in the heart of Seattle’s vibrant Chinatown-International District, and includes the
very hotel where countless immigrants first found a home, a meal and refuge. As our nation’s
only museum devoted to the Asian Pacific American experience, it’s one of the few places that
can truly give you a new perspective on what it means to be American. The Wing is a
Smithsonian Affiliate, a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.
 Immigration Sites of Conscience Network (www.sitesofconscience.org )
We are a worldwide network of historic sites, museums, and initiatives dedicated to remembering
past struggles and addressing their contemporary legacies.
 Levine Museum of the New South (http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/ )
Levine Museum of the New South is an interactive history museum that provides the nation with
the most comprehensive interpretation of post-Civil War southern society featuring men, women
and children, black and white, rich and poor, long-time residents and newcomers who have
shaped the South since the Civil War.
Our mission is to engage a broad-based audience in the exploration and appreciation of the
diverse history of the South since the Civil War, with a focus on Charlotte and the surrounding
Carolina Piedmont. Through the Museum we collect, preserve, and interpret the materials, sights,
sounds, and ideas that illumine and enliven this history. The Museum presents opportunities for
life-long learning about this history for the benefit, enjoyment and education of children and
adults, and provides historical context for contemporary issues and a community forum for
thoughtful discussion.
WISCONSIN
 Folklore Village - http://folklorevillage.org/t2/home Folklore Village is a nationally recognized
folk arts and culture center dedicated to enriching lives through time-honored traditions. Since
1968, thousands of people of all ages have come to Folklore Village to gather with friends, meet
new people, to eat, dance, sing and play.
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ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE U.S.
CANADA
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Simon Fraser University - CENTRE FOR DIALOGUE http://www.sfu.ca/centre-fordialogue.html
Culture & Tradition Journal - http://www.culture.mun.ca/ - Culture & Tradition is published
by graduate students in the Department of Folklore, Memorial University of Newfoundland. It is
Canada's longest running, bilingual folklore journal. The journal was founded in 1976 by
graduate students in the Department of Folklore, Memorial University of Newfoundland and in
Arts et Traditions Populaires at Université Laval, Quebec, with the aim of increasing
communication among students of folklore in Canada. The journal is published annually. The title
was chosen because, when the ampersand is used to join the words ‘Culture’ and ‘Tradition’, it is
perfectly bilingual.
Folklore Studies Association of Canada - http://www.acef-fsac.ulaval.ca/en/ - The Folklore
Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) is an educational, non-profit association founded in June
1976 for the purpose of increasing education and research in the field of folklore studies in all its
aspects. Multidisciplinary, scientific, and educational, the Folklore Studies Association of Canada
is composed of over 200 members including folklorists, researchers, students, educators, retired
adults, and people interested in folklore. The Association is bilingual; English and French are its
official languages.
BAHRAIN
 Folk Culture (Cultre Populaire) – A quarterly specialized journal – “The message of
folklore from Bahrian to the World” http://folkculturebh.org/en/
CYPRUS
 Cyprus Food & Nutrition Museum - http://foodmuseum.cs.ucy.ac.cy/ - Our mission is to
record, study, preservation and presentation of the culinary heritage of our country, Cyprus, as
well as the dissemination of scientific, educational and recreational purposes. We work on history
and culture of: food, nutrition, diet, utensils, tools and places for food production and
preservation. Food is approached via various perspectives: folklore, history, museology, food
science and nutrition. The ultimate aim is recording, preservation, promotion and dissemination
of cultural heritage of traditional foods.
HUNGARY
 Laterna Magica - http://www.laterna.hu - The organization was established to create demanding
and unique cultural and educational projects in Hungary and abroad as well. Besides the
attendance of our collection (Hungarian Slide-film Collection), we give a helping hand to cultural
and educational institutions to achieve their goals more effectively and efficiently. We give a full
service that includes the writing of the application, the organization, the implementation, the PR
and the distribution and the dissemination of the results. We gladly join any initiation that is eager
to spread the common cultural heritage in a fresh and creative way.
o Our services:
 - Project management
 - Arranging cultural events
 - Organizing non-profit PR campaigns
 - Educational management
 - Writing applications
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o
 - Video production
 - Organizing exhibitions
 - Cultural and educational website making
 - Slide-film digitalization
 - Pedagogical advisory
Project: Tradition in the Contemporary Design and Art
(http://culture.teamwork.fr/partner_search/detail_partener.php?id=126)
Summary: The main intention of the project is to show the actual existence of the
tradition and the effects of folk art on the contemporary art and design in the partner
countries. Accordingly we do not intend to organize traditionalist folklore events, but
such travelling contemporary art program series that are based on the cultural traditions
of the partner countries and at the same time reflect the everyday reality of our world
today. First of all we want young artists to participate in the project, because we are
interested to know what cultural identity and tradition mean to them, or rather how it
appears in their art and their artistic products. We would like to offer a large scope for
young artists and inspire the birth of new artistic products. The planned activities during
the program series in each partner countries are travelling exhibitions of the best student
works; international workshops and seminars: informal conversation with artists, the
cognition and the experience of cultural diversity, direct contact with the diversity of
cultural traditions in the contemporary design and art; the presence of international
artistic committee and juries; concerts, fashion-shows etc.
IRELAND
 Carlingford Community Development http://www.carlingfordevents.com Carligford
Community Development (CCD) is a not for profit community company which seeks to explore
Europes' diverse traditional music, song, dance, folk art cultures through festivals, seminars
conferences, workshops, CD,DVD & website creation.
o Project: European Traditional Arts Link
ROMANIA
 The European Education and Culture Centre “ARTEMIS” http://culture.teamwork.fr/partner_search/detail_partener.php?id=347 ; http://artemisprojects.blogspot.ro/ The European Education and Culture Centre “ARTEMIS” is a nongovernmental organization whose members have expertise in educational and cultural areas. The
members of the organization are professional actors, drama teachers, dance and choreography
teachers,etc, that were and still are involved in projects like Cultura 2000, Leonardo da
Vinci,Youth, etc. Artemis is an organisation that undergoes projects with objectives like: •
Performing arts(theatre, music, street arts and dance) • Social and cultural integration and
the betterment of the cultural education of minorities, the disabled, young people with special
neads • Promotes and encourages youth organizations • Promotes the study of foreign languages •
Cultural exchanges for young people • Fighting against human traffic and the recovery
of the victims, their reintegration in society through artistic, cultural activities (theatre, dance,
music, etc) •
The promotion of non-violence through artistic means of education and culture •
The intercultural education with stress on fighting racism and drug use • The
encouragement of the use of new informational technologies as a means of learning •
The
promotion of some info centers that have a role in educational campaigns •
Fights for the
preservation of folkloric traditions in art Our staff participated in European projects, that have
expertise (both in Romania and abroad) in several areas: theatre, dance, choreography, music,
dumb show, etc. They participated to numerous international festivals where they were awarded
important prizes. They also worked for projects concerning the therapy through theatre, the
reinstatement of the disabled, orfans, minorities, etc.
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TURKEY
 Dybos SW http://culture.teamwork.fr/partner_search/detail_partener.php?id=139 ;
http://www.caliyorum.com We are teaching turkish musical instrument baglama online on our
site caliyorum.com. We want to develope this site more and add some other countries with their
own instruments. We will also build a musical notes/lyrics archive.
[INTERNATIONAL organizations]
 International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts - (an NGO of
UNESCO) http://www.cioff.org/about-intro.cfm Since 1970, CIOFF works for the safeguarding,
promotion and diffusion of traditional culture. Through its activities, CIOFF aims for the
following main objectives:
o Promote the intangible heritage, through forms of expression such as dance, music,
games, rituals, customs and other arts.
o Serve the objectives of UNESCO
o Support the activities of its members and those of non-governmental organizations
working in the areas of folklore and cultural heritage
o Serve the cause of peace and non-violence through the implementation of the above
objectives
At present, CIOFF worldwide membership covers 96 countries of the World, with 69 National
Sections, 3 Associate Members and 24 Corresponding Members.
It is estimated that over 1 million people, including over 30'000 folklore dance and music groups
and folk arts organisations are associated with CIOFF through their CIOFF National Sections
Worldwide.
CIOFF Annual Activities
o Over 300 International Folklore Festivals, including 24 International Children’s Festivals
o 1500 Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibitions
o 5000 Traditional Dance, Music, Songs & Crafts Workshops
o Seminars
o Conferences
o CIOFF World Folkloriada (every 4 years)
[Document about folk arts and social change]:
http://animatingdemocracy.org/webfm_send/39
A Working Guide to the Landscape of Arts for Change
A collection of writings depicting the wide range of ways the arts make community, civic, and social
change.
Folk and Traditional Arts and Social Change
By Betsy Peterson
Folk arts include a constellation of artistic activities and cultural expressions in community life
that are informal, often popular in orientation, amateur, voluntary, and occurring in myriad social
contexts. As expressions of deep cultural knowledge, creative expression, activism, cultural
durability, and community values, folk and traditional arts can be tools for community
empowerment and social change…
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