TEXAS FOLKLIFE. Texas Folklife, headquartered in Austin, is a private, nonprofit organization founded as Texas Folklife Resources in 1984 and dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the traditions and folkways of Texas. Through exhibitions, concerts, and other programs, Texas Folklife sponsors the celebration of traditional Texas culture in communities across the state. The organization also seeks out and documents folk artists and others living and working throughout Texas whose industry relates to traditional culture. Through these and other means, Texas Folklife seeks to perpetuate the state's folklife today and preserve it for future generations.
One aspect of the organization's mission focuses on the fieldwork within Texas communities necessary for uncovering and documenting all types of traditional practices. Its Apprenticeships in the Folk Arts program, has granted many awards since 1987. Since 1992, in conjunction with the Texas Commission on the Arts, Texas Folklife has sponsored Touring Traditions, a program that organizes performances in communities across the state. The Community Residency Program brings well-regarded Texas musicians and traditional artists to rural towns across Texas.
Texas Folklife also sponsored the Texas Country Roots audio documentary series, which includes interviews and musical selections that explore the music of the state. Narrated by singer Jerry Jeff Walker, the series includes thirteen 8½-minute segments with such titles as "Fiddlin' Around" and "Honky-Tonk Heroes." The series is available at no cost to radio stations, arts organizations, and educational institutions for non-profit use only. The organization has also sponsored the Texas Folk Masters Series of performances at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin. A popular fundraiser for Texas Folklife is the annual Big Squeeze Accordion Contest.
The group also focuses on enhancing cultural awareness for schoolchildren through such projects as Powwow in the Schools and Folk Arts in Education. Texas Folklife operates a gallery at its Austin headquarters. The founding director, Pat Jasper, was succeeded by Martha Norkunas in 2002. Nancy Bless was executive director in 2009.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Austin Chronicle, August 23, 2002. Texas Folklife (http;//www.texasfolklife.org/), accessed January 28, 2009.
