Sights & SoundsGrayson Chesser and P.G. Ross, Mark Ross, Drew Sturgis, and Andy Dunton
The Eastern Shore of Virginia, a narrow peninsula stretching roughly seventy-five miles between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, has long nourished the artistry of waterfowl decoy carving. The …
Sights & SoundsNader Majd and Ali Reza Analouei
Dr. Nader Majd was born in Sari, Iran, and began studying and playing the santur, or Persian hammered dulcimer, and violin at the age of six. He later learned to …
Sights & SoundsNate Leath and Aila and Eli Wildman
A long-time resident of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Nate Leath grew up in Hickory, North Carolina, a town in the heart of bluegrass and old-time music country. Nate picked up his …
Sights & SoundsGary Horton and Tommy Horton
Gary Horton learned traditional logsmithing and historic home restoration from the late Don Chapman, widely considered the trade’s greatest master in Southwest Virginia. During his lifetime, Don disassembled, restored, and …
Sights & SoundsSusan Gaeta and Gina Sobel
When the Sephardic Jews were forced into exile from Spain and Portugal in the late fifteenth century, many settled in other Mediterranean countries but preserved their native language, Ladino, and …
Sights & SoundsJulia Garcia and Gloria Encinas
In Northern Virginia, a large Bolivian community from the Valle Alto (High Valley) of Cochabamba is maintaining the spirit and customs of their native Quechua culture and language. Through the …
Sights & SoundsGene Williams and Lee Bagley
The early 1900s saw a surge of independent candy makers in Virginia, with dozens of confectioners operating statewide, from Bristol to Norfolk. In 1917, a young candy enthusiast named Shafter …
Sights & SoundsEvelyn Lahman and Dr. T. Michael Gilley
Sadly, Evelyn Lahman passed away on June 13, 2017, shortly after receiving her apprenticeship. A craft originally born of necessity, the fiber arts continue to thrive throughout southern Appalachia. In …
Sights & SoundsGreg Galbreath and Peter Keller
Just as old-time mountain music has risen in popularity across America and the world, so has the art of banjo making. Unlike the three-finger-picking style for bluegrass banjo popularized by …
Sights & SoundsRemembering Nan Perdue
Nancy Martin-Perdue, a former scholar-in-residence at the University of Virginia, died Feb. 14. She devoted much of her adult life supporting and researching folklore in its many forms with her husband Charles L. Perdue.
Sights & SoundsMemories of Hanukkah: Flory Jagoda’s “Ocho Kandelikas”
As the holidays enter full swing, Christmas songs—ranging from the insipid to the sublime—become a seemingly ubiquitous presence in our lives. Largely buried in a sonic avalanche of sleigh bells, …
Sights & SoundsPhoto highlights from the 2016 Virginia Folklife Area at the Richmond Folk Festival
Another Richmond Folk Festival is in the books, and once again, the Virginia Folklife Program joined with our partners at Venture Richmond, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, Union …
Sights & SoundsMaking Barbacoa with Luz Lopez
By Violeta Palchik In the town of Morocoy, where Luz Lopez was raised, there is a large plaza where people go to relax at the end of the day. Several …
Sights & SoundsIngramettes at Kennedy Center on Millennium Stage
Couldn’t make it to DC to see the Ingramettes perform at the Kennedy Center? Enjoy the video of their performance.
Apply for an Apprenticeship
Virginia Folklife Apprenticeships will begin on May 1, 2020 and run through May 1, 2021. The application deadline for this cycle is January 31, 2020.
