Folk & Traditional Arts Program
Resources
Iowa Folklife: Our People, Communities and Traditions (curriculum guide)
This
updated kit (lessons, CD, videos, links, and support material) is available
online (click on hotlink above) and in hard copy at all Iowa junior and senior
high schools as well as in all senior citizen centers, Iowa college and university
history and education departments, State Library, and the State Historical
Society of Iowa resource center. The lessons and support materials may be
copied for educational purposes only; materials may not be copied and resold
for profit. Look for Iowa Folklife, Volume II: Cultural Express--Traditional
Arts on Tour in late 2008.
Iowa Roots
Iowa Roots features stories, music and talk with traditional artists from a variety of ethnic, geographic, occupational and religious groups found in Iowa. Iowa Roots is a production of the Iowa Arts Council and WOI Radio, part of the Iowa Public Radio group and based at Iowa State University in Ames..
Cultural Express: Traditional Arts on Tour
The Iowa Arts Council's Cultural Express program provides an opportunity
for Iowa communities to experience traditional music, foods, dance, rituals
and crafts from a variety of groups living in Iowa. Tabletop exhibits, resource
kits for activities, and live two-hour programs explore Danish, American Indian,
Lao, Bosnian, Asian Indian, and Vietnamese folklife, as well as traditional
Gospel, Blues, Latino, Old Time Anglo-Scots-Irish, and Czech and German Polka
music. Iowa public libraries and not-for-profit museums are eligible to apply
for this program. Proposals are due by 4:30 p.m., July 5, 2006, in the Iowa
Arts Council office. This is not a postmark deadline.
Iowa Folk & Traditional Arts Roster
This resource provides contact information for Iowa folk and traditional
artists. These artists may be contacted for a variety of public programs about
Iowa folklife. Find members of this roster by searching the Iowa
Artist Directory.
Iowa State Fare
These
1996 studio recordings feature eight ensembles and one solo performer selected
to appear in the Iowa Sesquicentennial program at the Smithsonian Festival of
American Folklife. Iowa State Fare showcases the vitality and diversity of the
state's musical traditions on the occasion of the celebration of 150 years of
Iowa statehood. Scandinavian string band melodies, Meskawaki Indian love songs,
gospel harmonies, polkas, old-time fiddling, Mexican folk songs, and blues are
some of the vibrant community-based musical traditions presented in this unique
collection of Iowa music. The CD booklet features essays, bibliographic information,
and lyrics with translations. Produced by Folkways Records, it is available from
the Center for Folklife
Programs and Cultural Studies at the Smithsonian Institution.
Midwest Folk Festival
This regional festival takes place in different years in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The event features folk and traditional artists from the states involved. The local organizations responsible for the festival each year focus primarily on artists from their host state. These events are funded by State Arts Agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts, and local sponsors.
2007: Columbus Junction, Iowa, May 12-13
Midwest Folk Fest at the Hispanic Cultural Festival held the second weekend
in May in Columbus Junction, Iowa at the Louisa County Fairgrounds, Highway
92, Columbus Junction.
This great family event features authentic Latin American cuisine, performances and crafts from all three states. This year's festival will be held May 12 and 13 and will host the annual Midwest Folk Fest, a collaborative project supported in part by the Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin State Arts Agencies.
For more information go to www.CJHispanicFest.org
Or contact:
Monica Ruiz, Event Coordinator
Hispanic Cultural Festival
319-728-7405
cscolumbus@iowatelecom.net
Cultural
Organizations and Translators – Resource List
This listing provides dozens of names of individuals and organizations providing
helpful connections to cultural communities in Iowa: African, European, Asian,
African American, American Indian, Latino, and more.
New Immigrants and Refugees
Iowa has become a place of refuge for many culture groups. Their presence offers Iowans a unique opportunity to learn about diversity, new customs, and traditions. The unique cultures in our societies are often misunderstood, however, making it difficult for newcomers to adapt to their American homeland.
Some of the immigrants and refugees who are working hard to make Iowa home include Afghanis, Asian Indians, Bosnians, Iraqis, Latinos (Colombians, Cubans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Peruvians), Pakistanis, Russians, Somalis, Southeast Asians (Tai Dam, Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodians, Hmong), Sudanese (Nuer, Shilluk, Maban, Dinka).
We can:
- provide information on traditional beliefs, dance, foods, medicine, foods, gender roles, holidays, music, religion, religious prohibitions, rites of passage, and cultural differences
- assist with diversity training, ethnic community tours, event planning (for culture days, diversity days, folklife festivals and community tours),
- identify speakers on a variety of cultural issues, identify traditional artists, and make translation referrals.
Iowa State Archives
The Iowa State Archives serves as the custodian of a special collection of Iowa Folklife materials.
Publications on Iowa Folklife
Other folklife publications are available in the State Historical Society of Iowa Library.
Folklife on the Web
Visit TAPNET to learn about other interesting programs in the field of folklife. A number of resources are available for those interested in tradition bearers, traditional music, archival materials, and folklife in general. http://tapnet.org/link.htm
The Educational Cyber Playground
The
Educational Cyber Playground offers many great resources for educators using the
traditional arts. www.edu-cyberpg.com
Ongoing Research
Research on Iowa Folklife is a continuing process. If there are traditions that should be documented, please contact the Iowa Folklife coordinator.
