March 23, 2020
Missouri Distillers
We at MO Folk Arts are using the Show Me Folk blog, in these unusual times, to shine a bit more light on the state’s folk and traditional artists who make a living at their craft. We plan to feature artists and culture keepers who have lost gigs or experienced slowdowns due to the world’s collective efforts to “flatten the curve.” We are often reminded that folk arts and folklife are not static, but dynamic and innovative. Traditional bearers prove that time and again, especially in adversity. With these posts, we hope our readers find their way to visit the…
March 18, 2020
Irish Musicians Arkins & Gannon
In the coming days, we at MO Folk Arts will use this blog to shine a bit more light on the state’s folk and traditional artists who make a living at their craft. We plan to feature artists who have lost gigs as venue doors close, events are postponed indefinitely, and shops are shuttered. With these posts, at a minimum, we hope our readers find their way to the artists’ websites/social media, to listen and look at some amazing folk and traditional arts. Perhaps, even, readers will be moved to make a purchase, recommend an artist to others…
Feb. 18, 2020
Breathing New Life into Missouri Fiddling
Rachel Krause interviewed oldtime fiddler John P. Williams (Madison) and rhythm guitarist Kenny Applebee for this artist profile and video published online by Oldtime Central in February 2020. “John P. Williams is an oldtime fiddler from Madison, Missouri who grew up deeply entrenched in the tradition of Missouri fiddling. John was a regular attendee of the Bethel Youth Fiddle Camp and apprenticed under Pete McMahan in the late 90’s as part of the Missouri Folk Arts Program. He studied under Missouri fiddlers Bob Holt, Vesta Johnson, Dwight Lamb, Taylor McBaine, Fred Stoneking, Johnny Bruce, Herman Johnson,…
Jan. 27, 2020
Carnaval de Barranquilla
Carnaval de Barranquilla & Carmen S. Dence Folk Arts Focus Exhibit October 1, 2019 – February 7, 2020 In October 2019, the Missouri Folk Arts Program installed its inaugural focus exhibit, featuring the work of Carmen Sofia Dence, a master Colombian folk dancer, choreographer, and costume designer, from St. Louis, Mo. Dence and MFA Director Lisa L. Higgins worked together to identify the objects for the exhibition case and to draft exhibit and object text. Dence visited the Museum of Art and Archaeology on October 5, 2019 for Museum Day…
Dec. 9, 2019
Tribute to Lois Jane Mueller
Lois Mueller finds the right thread for MFAP graduate student worker Dorothy Atuhura. We at the Missouri Folk Arts Program are saddened to learn from Barry Bergey that master quilter Lois Mueller died on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Formerly of St. Louis, the Muellers relocated to New Haven in the Missouri River Valley to establish their Röbller Vineyard in 1988, first vintage in 1990. She never stopped quilting. Mrs. Mueller was a master quilter in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in 1989 with apprentice Susan Gillespie and again in 1990 for applique quilting with apprentice…
Sep. 27, 2019
KCUR 89.3: MO Blacksmiths
KCUR’s Anne Kniggendorf shared stories about blacksmiths Mike McLaughlin and Bernard Tappel, who were featured artists in an exhibition at the Mid-America Arts Alliance and a special “hammer in” demonstration during First Fridays at the Crossroads in KC, Mo. Blacksmith Mike McLaughlin of Lawson, Missouri, bangs out a rain gauge holder at a First Friday event in the Crossroads.courtesy of Mid-America Arts Alliance …
Sep. 12, 2019
Tribute to Patricia S. Hight
It is our honor to pay tribute to Patricia S. “Pat” Hight, a recent apprentice in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. We learned via her Facebook posts and a Caring Bridge online journal that over the last several months Pat sought treatment for cancer, then recently chose to enter hospice care, riding out her last days rocking on her porch and checking the late summer progress of her garden. She died yesterday at home. Master storyteller Marideth Sisco and apprentice Patricia Hight tell tales at the 2017 Backyard Concert Series in Jefferson City. Mo. Photo credit: Deborah A. Bailey Pat…
Sep. 10, 2019
Missouri Friends of the Folk Arts
Back in 1973, a group based mostly in St. Louis, Missouri came together formally after a few years of programming traditional arts events and documenting regional traditions to establish the non-profit Missouri Friends of the Folk Arts [not to be confused with the Missouri Folk Arts Program]. In September 2018, on Labor Day weekend, the Friends came together for a reunion at the Röbller Vineyard in New Haven, Missouri. They had so much fun at the inaugural event that they organized a second reunion on September 1, 2019, meeting up…
Aug. 1, 2019
Folk Intern Sam Kendrick
We’re a bit sad to say farewell to our summer intern–Sam Kendrick of Vernon County, Mo. We’re also happy to know that he is heading back to do good work at Western Kentucky University’s Folk Studies and Anthropology and the Kentucky Folklife Program. Here’s Sam’s parting post with some advice and thoughts about music jams, the theater, and arts engagement. MFAP Summer Intern Sam Kendrick Hey guys! I hope every one is staying cool these days, or at least staying hydrated while…
July 23, 2019
Then & Now Apprentice Journeys
We invite everyone to visit our YouTube channel, where we are pleased to say, you will find edited videos from all eight Then and Now: Apprentice Journeys oral histories. Feel free to watch all eight via the playlist, or follow the links below for the most recent additions. Mo Folk Arts launched a new series in 2016, showcasing former apprentices in the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. These featured artists worked hard in…