funded by the New York State Council on the Arts' Folk Arts Program
Overview
The Folk Arts Program at the Genesee
Orleans Regional Arts Council supports our area's living cultural heritage
through documentation and public programming of traditional arts. Folk arts
are traditional cultural expressions through which a group maintains and
passes on its shared way of life. They are usually learned informally, yet
remain important expressions of a community's sense of beauty, identity and
values. They range from verbal "lore" like local ghost stories, children's
rhymes or family sayings, to material arts like woodcarving, basket weaving,
quilting or fly tying, to performance arts like fiddling, break dancing, or
square dance calling. Your family, your church, your neighborhood-these are
all groups that practice and maintain creative traditions that give meaning
to everyday life.
Our folk arts program has been active since the late 1980s in both Orleans
and Genesee Counties. Orleans County cultural leader, Nils Cassperson,
presented programs in those years on fishing, fly tying, quilting and old
time fiddle music. Folklorist Kathy Kimiciek worked in Genesee County from
1988-1990, documenting a variety of agricultural traditions, musical groups
and outdoor murals. Along with folklorist Daniel Ward, she published the
first of our folk arts program booklets in 1989, highlighting various folk
arts and artisans in the region. In 1996 Karen Canning became the staff
folklorist for the region encompassing Wyoming, Livingston, Genesee and
Orleans Counties.
Our program often collaborates with community and regional organizations,
including the Orleans County Tourism Department, local governments,
libraries, festival organizers, schools and colleges. We have established
annual presentations of local and ethnic music at GO ART's Picnic in the
Park every July 4th, and co-sponsor an annual traditional music concert at
the Orleans County Marine Park. Other events of recent years include a
"Call-Off" featuring square dance callers and musicians; a concert of
Italian American music; demonstrations of Native American beadwork, cornhusk
dolls, and legends; Mexican paper cutting workshops; and demonstrations of
quilting, Mexican basket weaving, carving, and water witching. Our program
also participates in regional activities with
The Genesee Valley Council on
the Arts, and the Arts Council for Wyoming County. We receive major support
from the New York State Council on the Arts, Folk Arts Program.
We are available to offer technical assistance to traditional artists in our
counties, and are always seeking to update our archival files to include
current information about our region's rich local culture and traditions. If
you practice an art or craft and would like more information, please contact
us at the GO ART! office by phone, email, mail, or come visit us at 201 East
Main St., Batavia NY.
Food for Thought from the Traditional Arts Program
The fall is often a catch-up and planning time for our Traditional Arts Program at Go Art!, after the run of programs in weather-safe months we present here and in neighboring counties. Having a bit of time to let my mind wander, it doesn’t take long for one of my favorite subjects to come up—food!
And no wonder, as I look around at the events and activities coming up all over our region. It’s harvest time, and the tangible fruits (and veggies) of labor in our beautiful countryside are everywhere, at roadside stands and church bazaars and pumpkin patches. Favorite recipes and food traditions take the lead in our holidays this month, from scoping out the best trick-or-treat houses to the essential cranberry sauce on your Thanksgiving table (we won’t go into cooked whole berry vs. chopped w/orange peel here).
November is also a great month for community food events: there are Harvest Dinners, Election Day Chicken & Biscuit Dinners, and Veteran’s Day Dinners in nearly every town. Several advertise homemade pies; at many you’ll find local squash, pickles, beets, coleslaw and potatoes prepared by well-known grandmas and grandpas. Canned jams, jellies and fruits are also in abundance at our area farm markets.
What’s your part in these autumnal celebrations? Are you gathering in the crops, or selling them? Maybe you’re preparing foods for the VFW or your family, and teaching your kids how it’s done. How we prepare and serve food, both for everyday and holiday events at home and in our communities, is part of our shared folklife and adds flavor and meaning to our lives.
I hope you’ll go to at least one of the delicious dinners and have a good time feasting and supporting a worthy cause. See you at the dessert table.
Karen Canning, Go Art! Folklorist
Bonus: Click here for several recipes associated with the first holiday of the month, All Saints Day. They come from three different cultural traditions: Ireland, Italy and Mexico.
Contact Karen Canning: 585-343-9313/800-774-7372 or folkarts@goart.org
Other Upcoming GO ART! Events: