Folk and Traditional Arts

Folk and Traditional Arts are defined as those artistic traditions characteristic of specific ethnic, religious, linguistic, occupational, or regional groups. These arts are shaped and shared within families, neighborhoods, and communities. They are passed down from one generation to another and learned through ongoing participation in community-based activities, and through observation, practice or apprenticeships with elders and masters rather than through classes, books or other means of institutional instruction.

Folk and Traditional Arts Program Director: Dana Payne, 717-525-5544 or danpayne@pa.gov

The PCA has established three ways to provide resources and services to the Folk and Traditional Arts field in Pennsylvania:

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships in Folk and Traditional Arts are grants from the PCA which support the learning of traditional arts within cultural communities across the state. These grants are administered by FolkArtPA at Jump Street in Harrisburg, PA. Each grant award provides funding to a partnership between a master traditional artist and a qualified apprentice, enabling them to work together to share and develop advanced techniques or repertoire. Apprenticeships in Traditional Arts grants are offered annually in both performing or craft traditions. Artists who receive the award are also profiled on the statewide Folk Art Infrastructure website.

Arts Organizations and Arts Programs (AOAP)

The AOAP track supports eligible PA Folk and Traditional Arts organizations that provide programming and/or arts services in Pennsylvania.

Folk Arts Infrastructure

The goals of the Folk and Traditional Arts Infrastructure are to document, investigate, present and sustain the folk and traditional art of Pennsylvanians today.This Infrastructure is a system of seven independent organizations, covering 33 counties, that form a mutually supportive network. These organizations promote the creation and documentation of folk art of the highest artistic excellence; engage the public in understanding the quality, breadth and diversity of folk and traditional arts across the state; conduct critical discovery fieldwork in under-represented communities; and provide technical assistance for folk and traditional artists through workshops and gatherings.