University of Arkansas Libraries to Receive $30,000 Grant from National Endowment for the Arts

graphic design by Ariel Romero

The Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts program, housed in the University of Arkansas Libraries, has received another grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in the amount of $30,000. The funds support the continued growth of the newly formed program with specific goals for its second year, focusing on the development of a new statewide Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. Ongoing work includes fieldwork throughout the state, building stronger coalitions with university departments and strengthening links with the Arkansas Arts Council and other cultural and arts organizations. 

"We're grateful for the continued support of the National Endowment for the Arts and proud to be among a list of impressive fellow awardees who are completing amazing work across the United States," said Virginia Siegel, folk arts coordinator. "NEA support is not only financial, but also an opportunity to bring Arkansas into a network of folk arts innovators across the nation." 

Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts is a statewide public folklore program working in partnership with Arkansas stakeholder organizations and individuals, including the Arkansas Arts Council and Arkansas State University. 

The program is dedicated to building cross-cultural understanding by documenting, presenting and sustaining Arkansas' living traditional arts and cultural heritage. It develops and supports projects and programming for and featuring Arkansas citizens from all walks of life, with an emphasis on including underrepresented communities and traditions.

While Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts in its present form is a new program centered on folklife throughout the state, the mission and initiative itself are not new to Arkansas. The program is building on the existing legacy of folk and traditional arts programming built initially by the Arkansas Arts Council. This work was continued through the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, and then later, the Arkansas Folklife Program located at Arkansas State University. Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts honors the hard work and fieldwork built by its partners and predecessors.

"These awards, reaching every corner of the United States, are a testament to the artistic richness and diversity in our country," said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. "Organizations such as the University of Arkansas Libraries are giving people in their community the opportunity to learn, create and be inspired."