Virginia Folklife Program

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Virginia Folklife Program

Preserving, documenting and celebrating Virginia's cultural heritage.

11/13/2024

ICYMI, we’ve moved to Virginia Humanities! Join us over there to stay up-to-date on everything Virginia Folklife. Plus, learn more about all the other exciting work Virginia Humanities is doing 💡💭

11/01/2024

WE’RE MOVING! 🚚 📦 But don’t worry: We aren’t going far...

Starting today, November 1, you can find us (and our posts) on Virginia Humanities’ feed. We’ll still be sharing all the same content you love, just in a different place.

This account will officially become an archive on November 30, so don’t drag your feet! You won’t want to miss what we’ve got in store.

See you over at Virginia Humanities! 👋

10/03/2024

The staff of the Virginia Folklife Program, as well as our colleagues at Virginia Humanities, hope you and your loved ones are managing to stay safe from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

We are sharing resources for recovery for the heritage and cultural sector from the Virginia Funders Network and Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF): https://loom.ly/kWs020A

Please help us spread the word among impacted communities in Southwest VA. Reports of unmet needs may be sent to [email protected].

10/01/2024

To everyone who helped us organize this year’s Virginia Folklife Area at , especially our new friends at ; the artists who contributed their time, work, and innumerable talents; the volunteers who kept everything going throughout the weekend: THANK YOU!!! We couldn’t have done any of this without the immense support we received, and we are deeply grateful.

We have a LOT more photos and video to share, so keep an eye out!

09/24/2024

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Dale Wise, an accomplished accordion repairman, instrument designer and performer. Dale apprenticed Lori Sallade in 2015 as part of the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. He was 83 years old.

When he was a child, Dale gravitated toward the large instrument that filled his life, and later the shelves of his basement workshop, and was mentored by Carlos Santucci of Ottawa, Illinois. As a music educator and a repairman he embraced the musical life, and his legacy lives on via Accordion Renaissance, which houses the nonprofit he founded Accordions for Kids USA.

In 2015 Dale and his apprentice Lori repaired and restored the Hohner Student III accordion that was owned by Sephardic Jewish songwriter and so-called “Keeper of the Flame” Flory Jagoda. This accordion hadn’t been repaired since Flory fled Nazi-occupied Zagreb in 1941. It was her only possession she brought on the train, and she sang the entire trip to keep the conductor from asking to see her ticket, which she didn’t have. We were there when she was reunited with the instrument, and Dale’s warmth filled the entire room.

The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, a donation to Accordion Renaissance may be made in his honor. https://loom.ly/tyJgivY

09/19/2024

We invite you to come see “In Good Keeping” at the Reston multicultural festival at 3 o’clock at the Look Cinema. The film follows the 2023-24 Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship cohort as they practice living traditions throughout the commonwealth and beyond. Also be sure to come early on Saturday, September 21, and see Fairfax’s own Nelly and Paloma Zapata will be demonstrating traditional Bolivian Dance to open the festival with Fundacion Socio Cultural Diablada Boliviana. ....

08/08/2024

Plena is a distinctly Puerto Rican musical genre, originating back around the year 1900.
Within this art form, there are hints of African, Indigenous and European influences, leading to a conversation between musical traditions defined by powerful percussion and a upbeat, lively sound.

For a chance to learn more about this rich tradition, come to our "Finding Your Cultural Roots" Event in Danville on August 17th! As a part of this event, 2023-24 folklife apprentice Maurice Sanabria of Kadencia will offer workshops on the hand drumming traditions so central to plena.

07/30/2024

We're so excited for y'all to join us in Danville on August 17th to celebrate some of the hard work apprenticeship teams have put in this year!

But, before we do that, let's take a walk down memory lane to a decade ago. From gospel singing to cooking up Brunswick stew, check out some of the work past apprenticeship teams displayed at the 2014 Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase.

🔗 Learn more about each image: https://loom.ly/UIpOjSg

📷 All photos by Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities

07/25/2024

Quickly approaching opportunity for local creatives!

The tradition of the Appalachian Murder Ballad is something worth reckoning with, as despite its musical influence in Appalachia, its songs have been associated with regressive gender norms that celebrate violence against women.

This October, MidMountain is seeking submissions for a zine, gallery show, and arts festival focusing on reclaiming the Appalachian Murder Ballad genre and changing this narrative.

**SUBMISSION DEADLINE JULY 29**

🔗 For more information: https://loom.ly/hi2hdrY

07/24/2024

We have an exciting announcement to share: We’ve awarded $30,000 to 6 teams of artists in our 2024–2025 Folklife Apprenticeship cohort! Mentors work with apprentices over the course of a year to teach them skills in a folkway, from Appalachian broom-making to learning Uyghur traditional music. We provide funding and a public platform to sustain cultural traditions that help make Virginia, Virginia.

🔗 Read more about the selected teams here: https://loom.ly/mF8KDpw

📸 Photos courtesy of the artists

07/18/2024

On Sunday, Tara Mills Band is playing live! We encourage everyone to stop by this free event at Humpback Rocks, as a stop on the Blue Ridge Music Center’s Milepost Music series.

Tara's music features a distinctive mix of folk, bluegrass, and Americana styles, inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains themselves.

🔗 More details about the event can be found here: https://loom.ly/X8j9Pqo

07/10/2024

Need plans this weekend?

Join musicians Woody and Marcia McKenzie this Sunday for a free afternoon of music at the Peaks of Otter as a part of the Blue Ridge Music Center's Milepost Music series!

This duo has been making music since 1983, and their tunes mix everything from traditional Appalachian music to swing songs, drawing their audience into a vast conversation of Virginian music.

🔗 More details about the event can be found here: https://loom.ly/oSnOa-I

Address

946 Grady Avenue Ste 100
Charlottesville, VA
22903

Telephone

+14349243296

Website

http://www.virginiafolklife.org/

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