Why Is Our Heritage Important?
Passed across generations and among family and friends, folklife traditions
and folk arts form the cultural fabric of communities. In this way, Nebraskans confirm connections with one another, creating a shared identity within a state composed of different regional and ethnic communities. The folk and traditional arts, in particular, have the ability to showcase the creative power of tradition in contemporary life. The Nebraska Folklife Network helps ensure that these important parts of our heritage continue to enrich our lives. We do this by recognizing and promoting the artistic and cultural traditions that originate in Nebraska's communities. |
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Bridging Communities and Cultures
Albert Fahlbusch, Scottsbluff, 1984 National Heritage Fellowship award-winning German Russian hammered dulcimer player/maker
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Across Nebraska, the traditional arts spring from a variety of sources and take many forms. Folk artists have created living cultural artifacts in the form of quilts, wood carvings, beadwork, needlework, hand-tooled saddles, musical instruments, and architectural embellishments.
The traditions of artists and communities can be seen, felt, heard, and tasted in the richness of kolaches and Greek pastires; the sounds of bouncy Czech, Mexican, Polish, and German polka music; the skilled dancing at Native American powwows and Asian cultural celebrations; and the excitement of rodeos and county fairs.
Nebraska has a deep agricultural heritage that includes many traditions from dowsing (water witching) to weather lore to saddlemaking. It is a heritage that connects us to the land around us whether we currently live in the country or the city. These and many more expressions of folk art and folklife are integral to our daily lives. |
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Harvest of Traditions—October 4, 2009
Celebrate an old fashioned Nebraska harvest at Arbor Farm (525 West Waverly Road, Raymond NE 68428, just northwest of Lincoln and east of Raymond) on Sunday, October 4, 2009 from 1-5 PM -read more-
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The Nebraska Folklife Network is a statewide, nonprofit arts and humanities organization dedicated to advancing cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society. We do this through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of folk arts and folklife in Nebraska.
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The Nebraska Folklife Network maintains and moderates a listserve (Internet message group) that is open to members and to anyone else with a genuine interest in Nebraska's traditional arts and folklife. To apply for membership in the listserve send an email to the following address: plainsculture@inebraska.com.
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