Commonwealth Speakers:Folk and Traditional Arts
These baskets reflect a nine-generation old tradition of Pennsylvania German and gypsy willow basketry. Through careful study and consistent practice, artist Patricia Dillman (Tioga County) is continuing this important tradition so future generations can understand and enjoy their heritage.
Making Beauty Every Day: Masters of the Folk and Traditional Arts in
Pennsylvania
The folk and traditional arts offer a window into the customs and rituals that shape
identity and reflect what is valued most in a community. From haunting Lithuanian
wedding songs to lively African drumming, from whimsical woodcarving to iron furnace
pattern making, artists across the Commonwealth maintain time-honored artistic
traditions. Using slides, interviews, and musical excerpts, Amy Skillman explores how
Pennsylvania's folk and traditional artists make beauty in their everyday lives.
Projection screen required.
Amy E. Skillman, Director of Arts and Heritage Programs, Institute for Cultural
Partnerships, Harrisburg
Though society is becoming increasingly homogeneous, regional expressive variation still exists and reflects the strength of our cultural differences. Through live performance (and occasional tapes of "the real thing") Saul Broudy presents grassroots songs from various regions, such as Louisiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, the Appalachians, and Canada, and discusses how these songs help us identify who we are and where we come from.
If outdoors or in a large room, a small sound system with microphone on pole stand
required.
Saul Broudy, Ph.D., Performer and Folklorist, Philadelphia
The identity of Pennsylvanians springs from an awareness of the state's traditions, but the nature of those traditions—ethnic, occupational, familial, and regional—has often been contested. In this slide-illustrated presentation, Simon Bronner explores the history of the search for Pennsylvania traditions, including the efforts by notable Pennsylvanians such as Henry Shoemaker, Alfred Shoemaker, and George Korson, to increase Pennsylvanians' appreciation of their own heritage. He discusses current techniques for collecting and interpreting Pennsylvania's folk traditions and offers perspectives on the controversies about folklore and folklife as the keys to constructing Pennsylvania heritage.
Slide projector and screen required.
Simon J. Bronner, Ph. D., Distinguished Professor of American Studies and
Folklore, PSU - Harrisburg
The story of southwestern Pennsylvania, historically known as Westsylvania, is marked by tough times, brutal conditions, and hard-won battles. The women of Westsylvania stood side-by-side with men, often leading marches or attending union meetings at great personal risk. Performing live, Paula Purnell presents the stories of these amazing women and the songs honoring their heroism and tenacity.
Paula Purnell, Musician and Educator, Greensburg
When Bad Things Happen: How Folk Ballads Tell Stories of Natural and Man-Made DisastersToday, most of us get our news from modern print and electronic media, but historically, it was the ballad that imparted and interpreted current events. Saul Broudy presents American ballads that deal with violent events both natural and man-made, both intentional and accidental. He sings ballads (using guitar and harmonica) from both the Anglo-Irish American and African American traditions and discusses how the ballads reflect history and relate to their communities of origin.
If outdoors or in a large room,a small sound system with microphone on pole stand
required.
Saul Broudy, Ph.D., Performer and Folklorist, Philadelphia
Explore southwestern Pennsylvania's exciting past through its regional folk music. Performing live on guitar, banjo, and Appalachian lap dulcimer, Paula Purnell presents songs of the early settlers, coal miners, steel workers, and everyday people who forged this region's unique culture. Along with lively narration on each song's origin and historical context, audiences will be introduced to a variety of instruments, including the Native American love flute, the washtub bass, the oonie can, and the bones.
Paula Purnell, Musician and Educator, Greensburg
Coal Mining in American Literature, Art, and SongCoal mining and beauty are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the coal mines and mining communities of Europe, Pennsylvania, and other Appalachian states have been the setting for many novels, paintings, films, and songs. Some of these works, such as Zola's Germinal, are quite famous, while others, like the short stories of E. S. Johnson, have only recently been rediscovered as part of a revival of interest in coal mining and the art it inspired. Come explore the art of mining in American culture with Christine Goldbeck, editor and publisher of Minecountry.com and the Anthracite History Journal.
TV, VCR, and CD/cassette player required.
Christine Goldbeck, Author, Editor, and Publisher, Shenandoah
The men and women of the Pennsylvania North Woods whistled while they worked in the woods, mines, and fields. They told tall tales, sang, and were prodigious fighters. They felled and floated the masts for the tall ships and provided the decoration for Victorian architecture. They were the Bucktailed Wildcat sharpshooters of Civil War fame and the women who kept the home fires alight and the farms afloat. They staged the first labor riot in the United States and went on strike with Mother Jones. Bonnie Kyofski shares the stories and songs of a homier, funnier side of this roisterous frontier culture.
Bonnie Kyofski, Ph.D., Storyteller and Retired Professor of Education, Mansfield University
The Flower and Garden in Pennsylvania German ArtNatural imagery is a key aspect of Pennsylvania German art, from pottery to furniture to fraktur, the renowned illuminated manuscripts of the Pennsylvania Germans. In this slide-illustrated presentation, Irwin Richman explores garden imagery in Pennsylvania German art, including the work of 19th-century folk artists Lewis Miller and Jacob Maentel and that of Charles Demuth, who brought the tradition into 20th-century academic art.
Slide projector with remote control and screen required.
Irwin Richman, Ph.D., Professor of American Studies and History Emeritus,
PSU - Harrisburg
For centuries, women have used the arts to ensure the spiritual and cultural well-being of their families and communities. Ukrainian women embroider their hopes for health and prosperity into their children's wedding clothes. African American women inspire their children by sharing with them the stories of their past. Indian women tell the stories of the Hindu Ramayana through expressive ritual dances. Using slides, interviews, and musical excerpts, Amy Skillman examines how the folk arts document the often unrecognized power of creativity in women's lives.
Projection screen required.
Amy E. Skillman, Director of Arts and Heritage Programs, Institute for Cultural
Partnerships, Harrisburg
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