American Folk: National Endowment For The Arts National Heritage Fellows

What do African American quilters, Appalachian ballad singers, Ukrainian American textile artists, Native American basket makers, Cambodian American dancers, and Mexican American musicians have in common? They are all Americans and all folk artists, but they also represent a sampling of people to whom the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded National Heritage Fellowships, the highest honor for traditional artists in the United States.

In this issue of FACES, you’ll travel across the country, meeting several NEA National Heritage Fellows. You’ll discover the ways they found their passion for a particular folk art and how they pass these arts onto new generations. Their stories are often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and always inspiring. Their talent and commitment to their arts bring them, and us, together as a nation.

Since 1982, more than 400 of these amazing individuals have been honored with the fellowship, given annually by the NEA. Some fellows, like legendary blues musician B.B. King, are known far and wide, but most of the winners are known only in their local communities. How does the NEA find artists like weaver Dorothy Thompson from Davis, West Virginia, or singer and ukulele player Clyde “Kindy” Sproat from Kapa’au, Hawaii?

The fellows are nominated by people who are familiar with their talent and passion for their tradition. A panel at the NEA has to make tough decisions because only a handful of nominees can be given this honor.

Each year’s group of fellows represents a cross-section of states, territories, and different folk arts: music, dance, ritual and celebration, and crafts. You may be inspired to find your own passion in the arts through their stories.