At the March 26th meeting of the National Council for the Arts, Houston Arts Alliance was recommended for a grant of $50,000 to support its new Folklife and Traditional Arts Program. Starting June 1, 2010, NEA funding will support the program's work in Houston's diverse neighborhoods and communities exploring and highlighting the contemporary traditions that make Houston one of the most vibrant urban landscapes in the United States.
HAA's Folklife and Traditional Arts Program focuses on promoting and presenting the lively cultural traditions of the nation's fourth largest metropolitan area. Its goals include research, documentation and public projects that explore the wide variety of established and emerging cultural communities that come together in the greater Houston area. The program also provides technical assistance and resources to local traditional artists, engages in collaborations with colleague organizations, and markets the city's rich and diverse culture to locals and visitors alike.
The folk and traditional arts are deeply rooted in a community's identity and built around such factors as shared ethnic heritage, language, religion, occupation or sense of place. Genres of artistic activity that arise within these communities include, but are not limited to, music, dance, crafts, storytelling and other forms of oral expression. These vital and constantly reinvigorated artistic traditions are shaped by commonly-held values and standards of excellence that are passed from generation to generation, most often within family and community, through demonstration, conversation and practice.
The director of the Folklife and Traditional Arts Program is professional Pat Jasper. For more information, contact her at pat@haatx.com or 713.527.9330.
