Folk & Traditional Arts Program
Need to talk it through?
In addition to the resources listed below, Iowa Arts Council staff is ready and willing to consult with you or your organization about folk & traditional arts ideas, plans, and opportunities.
Assistance can range from a simple email or phone conversation, to more in-depth consulting. Reimbursement for travel (at state rates) or staff time (at $25/hour) may be requested for consultations that require substantial time; however we make every effort to keep such costs to a minimum.
For assistance with folk & traditional arts, contact:
Riki Saltzman
Riki.Saltzman@iowa.gov
515-242-6195
Resources
New Iowa Folklife Curriculum Available
The Iowa Arts Council is pleased to announce the debut of Iowa Folklife Volume II., which explores the traditional music, foods, dance, rituals and crafts of Iowa’s diverse cultures. This online resource includes content pages, photos, audio samples, suggested readings, lesson plans, and a variety of online resources for students (k-12) and educators. Use the whole curriculum or just one unit! Enhance your experience by inviting featured traditional artists or those from your community into your classroom. Consult the Folk & Traditional Artists link for each unit, the Iowa Folklife Roster, or Iowa Roots for artist contact information, and apply for an Iowa Arts Council grant for artist fees and other program expenses.
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.
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 Iowa Public Radio.
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.
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
The American Folklore Society is an association of people who study and communicate knowledge about folklore throughout the world. Our more than 2,200 members and subscribers are scholars, teachers, and libraries at colleges and universities; professionals in arts and cultural organizations; and community members involved in folklore work. Many of our members live and work in the US, but their interests in folklore stretch around the world, and today about one in every eight AFS members is from outside the US.
American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
The American Folklife Center aims to be the national center for folklife documentation and research, and this Web site offers a virtual destination for those who cannot visit the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
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.
Cultural Arts Resources for Teachers and Students
The CARTS Web site is a virtual extension of City Lore's educational programs and its National Network for Folk Arts in Education.
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