The Kentucky Arts Council, the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission and the Kentucky Heritage Council worked together to produce Native Reflections, a traveling exhibit of artworks by Native American artists living in Kentucky. This juried show honors and celebrates indigenous cultures and confronts the common misconception that Native American culture is reflective only of past…
The Arts Trails Program is a place based art and economic development initiative by New Mexico Arts designed to put New Mexico artists on the map and widen markets for local artisans and creative enterprises. The state arts agency provides funding for community based arts, bringing recognition and beneficial economic development to rural areas rich…
A top objective of the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture, Northern Mariana Islands (CCAC) is the preservation of Chamorro and Carolinian cultural traditions. This heritage is central to individual and community identity in the Northern Marianas, and is a central focus of the agency’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan. A good example of this work is…
This summer, the North Carolina Arts Council (N.C. Arts Council) is working with two interns to cultivate the state’s folklife infrastructure as well as the future of public-sector leadership. The interns will help realize N.C. Arts Council’s folklife programming—by engaging in grant making, field research, financial planning and management, and other activities—while benefiting from related professional…
Many state arts agencies support cultural traditions and the artists who propagate them through an apprenticeship program. Such programs, as the Maine Arts Commission (MAC) demonstrates, can be adapted effectively to better respond to a state’s changing demographics and growing creative economy. For example, the new Craft Apprenticeship Program, which MAC manages in partnership with…
The Center for Washington Cultural Traditions (CWCT) is a new collaborative effort of the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) and its state humanities council counterpart, Humanities Washington. Its mission is to study and support the state’s folk and traditional arts and culture. Housed within Humanities Washington and supported with state funding via ArtsWA, CWCT is…
With three consecutive years of funding from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, AZ ArtWorker, an initiative of the Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) and Arizona State University (ASU), has created dozens of opportunities for artists in remote and historically underserved communities to connect with and learn from their local, national and international peers. Based…
No matter the medium or discipline, crafts develop through contemporary practice as much as preservation of tradition. The Arkansas Arts Council (AAC) realizes this through its Arkansas Made Living Treasure Films Series, through which it collaborates with the Historic Arkansas Museum and filmmakers to produce documentaries about the artists and craftspeople who have received AAC’s…
Journey Proud is a new documentary series produced by Alabama Public Television (APT) and the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) highlighting the people, customs and traditions of Alabama. The series is hosted by folklorist Joey Brackner, director of the Alabama Center for Traditional Culture, the folklife division of ASCA. APT Executive Producer Chris…
Part of the Kentucky Arts Council’s (KAC) effort to foster the state’s cultural assets is to train citizens how to document, interpret and share their community’s cultural heritage. Through its Community Scholars Program, KAC empowers local communities to preserve and celebrate Kentucky’s art and culture. KAC holds training sessions throughout the state twice a year…
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