Folk Arts

What is Folk Art?
The term "folk art" refers to both the forms objects take and the process by which folk arts are learned and passed on. Folk art is defined, from a scholarly perspective, as the unique cultural expressions that help to celebrate and maintain a group's history, values, interests, and aesthetics. They include performance traditions in music, dance, and song; storytelling and other verbal arts; games; regional, ethnic, and family foods; festivals and seasonal activities; traditional crafts and visual arts; and more. Folk art is created within a community context by people who share a common ethnic, religious, regional, or occupational background--or other identifying features like age or gender.

Folk artists have traditionally acquired their skills by watching, listening to, and working with other members of their community, not by attending classes or reading how-to books. As folk arts are passed on person-to-person, they link living artists with the knowledge of those who have come before them. In determining whether something is folk art, then, we must look past objects to artists--and even further, into the communities that provide the nurturing environments in which folk art can emerge.

Why Present Folk Art?
Our folk arts program documents and presents local artists who are often unknown outside their own communities. In doing so we recognize and honor the artistic contributions of the many diverse peoples who make their home in Western New York. Folk art exhibitions, performances, demonstrations, and workshops give our audiences the opportunity to learn more about the arts and cultures of their neighbors, and help to promote a better appreciation and understanding of cultural differences. As we move into the 21st century, traditional arts and artists all over the world are in danger of being overwhelmed by a standardized culture promoted through the mass media and global marketing. Our folk arts program works to preserve the beauty and variety of traditional cultures for future generations. Our documentation of local folk arts and artists is ongoing.