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Helping communities across the state connect their heritage arts and traditions to local development, education, and active citizenship

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NC Field

undentified-musicians-at-toy-shopNC Field is the North Carolina Folklife Institute's blog about traditions in North Carolina and about the field of folklore. Whether it’s a guide to conducting family oral histories or a profile of a great artist, NCFI's work across our state’s 100 counties means that we engage with hundreds of unique voices and ideas every year.

We feature stories that give us glimpses into North Carolinians’ lives—stories about family, place, and identity—and others about the hows and whys of folklife documentation. Like individual quilt squares, those personal and community histories, essays, and general musings are integral pieces of North Carolina.

You can also join our Facebook and our Instagram feed to keep up with the latest issues and events in North Carolina folklife.

Photo: Unidentified musicians at Jack Guy's Toy Shop, Beech Grove, NC. Photo from the Jack Guy Collection.

Durham’s White Rock Baptist Church

We’re pleased to be re-launching our NC Field blog, after several years’ hiatus! Our thanks to Truman Austin, a senior at Chapel Hill’s Emerson Waldorf School, for sharing this article with us.  Special thanks as well to Pastor Rev. Dr. Reginald Stephens, Minister of Music Raymond Johnson, and the congregation of White Rock Baptist Church,… Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field

NC Folk Shines a Light on Jugtown Potters, Harkers Island Mariners, and Burlington Lowriders

NC Folk was recently featured in INDY Week (article by Spencer Griffith). Click here to read the full article. For more than forty years, the North Carolina Folklife Institute has worked alongside other nonprofits to promote awareness of the state’s shifting cultural practices, covering a broad array of food, music, arts, and vocations. Recently, it… Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field

Potter Mark Hewitt receives United States Artists Fellowship

by Evan Hatch NC Folk wanted to spread the word. Pittsboro potter Mark Hewitt has been awarded a United States Artists Fellowship. The award comes with a $50,000 unrestricted prize allowing Hewitt to make needed repairs to his farm. Check out the article in the Raleigh N&O: http://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article49211350.html Of course Mr. Hewitt is no stranger… Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field, Tradition Bearers, Uncategorized Tagged With: Evan Hatch, Mark Hewitt, pottery

Martín Ramírez and the USPS

by Evan Hatch   In a quirky and remarkable gesture, the United States Post Office issued a limited-edition set of Forever stamps featuring the work of Sr. Martín Ramírez. This gesture is remarkable because this semi-famed Mexican American artist is considered by many to be a visionary artist – a category of artists generally relegated… Read More →

Filed Under: Musings, NC Field, Uncategorized Tagged With: Evan Hatch

Calvin Trillin expounds on NC BBQ

by Evan Hatch Calvin Trillen’s thoughtful New Yorker piece offers some insights into the battle over North Carolina BBQ, and into North Carolina culture. It is a pleasant piece and its greatest strength is to recognize the futility in defining North Carolina BBQ. We know what BBQ is. And we know what it isn’t. No amount… Read More →

Filed Under: Musings, NC Field, Uncategorized Tagged With: Evan Hatch

Watch This Is My Home Now: The Montagnard Community in Greensboro

by Evan Hatch Documentarian Mariah Dunn Kramer found her calling early in film making through a fortuitous turn of events. In 2013, her participation through the “Smithsonian Young Historians, Living Histories” program led Kramer to conduct intensive oral history work with with Greensboro’s Montagnard youth. The experience only marked the beginning of this venture. This… Read More →

Filed Under: Musings, NC Field, Uncategorized Tagged With: documentary, Montagnard, New South

Instagram for Nonprofits

by Tat’yana Berdan Recently some experts have begun to question the effectiveness of Facebook– the largest social media site – in helping an organization reach its followers. No matter how many followers you have, they may not see your posts unless you are willing to “boost” them (i.e., pay for them to show up). This new pay-to-play model has particularly… Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field, Uncategorized Tagged With: Instagram, NC Field, nonprofits, Social Media, Tat'yana Berdan

Socially Conscious Organizations

By Lea Efird Traditional structures of nonprofits are the realities for most of these entities, but hybrid and for-profit structures are on the rise in the US and internationally and have also been successful. If a nonprofit reevaluated its accomplishments, goals, etc., would the 501(c)(3) model be most effective for it, versus new legal/financial possibilities?… Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field, Theory in Practice, Uncategorized Tagged With: Lea Efird, nonprofits, report, structure, UNC APPLES intern

Contra Dancing in Carrboro

by Tat’yana Berdan “‘Hunker down’ is a technical term in contra.” The above is one of the many verbal gems I overheard last weekend at the Friday night contra dance held in Carrboro’s Century Center. My friend Dana introduced me to contra dancing my freshman year of college. I took ballroom lessons for many years… Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field, Uncategorized Tagged With: Carrboro NC, Contra dancing, Tat'yana Berdan, Triangle Country Dancers

Tyris Jones, Storytelling as a Craft

by Sarah Bryan By returning to his roots, Tyris Jones discovered a new path in life. The Laurinburg native lived away from his hometown for years, but when he came back to live in Scotland County, he was inspired to combine his professional background and his family traditions into a new career as a storyteller…. Read More →

Filed Under: NC Field, Uncategorized Tagged With: Laurel Hill NC, LaurelFest, Laurinburg NC, Laurinburg's Storytelling and Arts Center, Sara Bryan, Tyris Jones

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