The Ohio Arts Council Launches Online Resource for Ohio Folk & Traditional Arts
by Jeff Hooper
The diverse cultural landscape of Ohio has been shaped by a multitude of peoples from all over the world. From the bluegrass musicians and basket-makers who live in the state’s southern hills to glass blowers and polka bands in the northern industrial cities, the daily lives of Ohioans are affected by traditions passed from generation to generation. Oftentimes, these everyday arts go unnoticed, but the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and Cityfolk have partnered to create Ohio Traditions, www.ohiofolkarts.org, a website dedicated to broadening the awareness and understanding of Ohio’s folk and traditional arts.
The Ohio Traditions website is a rich repository of artist profiles, reports on folk arts activities across the state and links to information about funding programs for master traditional artists and young people who want to develop their skills in traditional art forms. Developed with the support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Traditions may be used to learn about everything from unique crafts, such as the art of decorating “Pysanky” Ukrainian Easter eggs, to a broad overview of the Latino arts.
“Traditions touch every one of us, reminding us of who we are and where we came from,” says Julie Henahan, Executive Director of the OAC. “By supporting the folk and traditional arts through initiatives like the Ohio Traditions website, the Ohio Arts Council is able to fulfill its goal of supporting communities and building cultural vitality in every corner of the state.”
"Cityfolk is pleased to share in the development of this clearinghouse for information about the traditional arts," adds Kathleen Alter, Cityfolk Executive Director. The partnership between Cityfolk and the OAC has been in place for more than 10 years and also includes the sponsorship of the Ohio Heritage Showcase at the Ohio State Fair.
The Ohio Traditions website will be updated continuously. In the coming year, the OAC will add information from a fieldwork project documenting African immigrant groups in Ohio. The OAC will also post interviews and photographs of recipients of Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants and Ohio Heritage Fellowships. The OAC welcomes suggestions for master artists and community groups who could be profiled on the site. A link for contributing information about artists may be found on the “Master Artists” page on the website.
The OAC also welcomes applicants and nominations for folk and traditional arts programs. The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant program provides awards that allow dedicated apprentices to follow a time-honored method to acquire an understanding of and proficiency in folk and traditional art forms. The deadline for draft applications is December 15, 2010. The final Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program deadline is January 15, 2011.
Additionally, the Ohio Heritage Fellowship program acknowledges dedicated individuals working in the folk and traditional arts who are recognized within their communities as exemplary practitioners of an art form and who produce work of the highest quality and authenticity. The deadline for Ohio Heritage Fellowship nominations is January 15, 2011. Guidelines for both programs may be found on the OAC website at www.oac.ohio.gov.
About the Ohio Arts Council:
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
About Cityfolk:
Cityfolk is Ohio’s only full-time, professional presenter of traditional and ethnic performing arts. Based in Dayton, Cityfolk has garnered numerous national awards and was the recipient of the 2009 Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts in Community Development and Participation.
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