Stories of Love and Delight - An artistic collaboration in Brattleboro, VT
On March 13, 2022 VFC Education staffer Mary Wesley attended a special reception at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (BMAC) to celebrate a collaboration between the VFC’s Vermont Voices project, the Windham Regional Career Center, and Mexican-American artist Yvette Molina. Mary reflects on the experience in this Field Note.
Founder Jane Beck Reflects on Andy’s 20 years at the Folklife Center
This year marks Associate Director and Archivist Andy Kolovos' 20th anniversary at the Folklife Center. We asked Jane Beck, the VFC’s Founder and Director from 1984 to 2007, to reflect on Andy’s time with the organization.
Celebrating 30 Years of Innovation in Tradition!
During 2022 the VFC is celebrating 30 years of Innovation in Tradition by looking back on how its Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (VTAAP) has both sustained and advanced traditional arts in Vermont over the last three decades. Our staff is currently working hard to create an exciting year of programming to showcase the many amazing artists who have come through the program. Learn more here!
Meet our Winter Interns!
This winter we’re delighted to be working with two interns who are currently supporting our Education and Archive programs. April McIlwaine is a graduate student at the University of Vermont where she is pursuing a Masters in Food Systems. Lua Piovano-Marcotte is a third year student at Bennington College studying sociology, rural studies, and disability studies. Read more here!
Virtual Gingerbread Returns!
After last year’s success the VFC’s Annual Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibit will again be held virtually! Open to any Vermont resident, bake and build an edible creation and submit photos online to participate in the contest. Prizes will be awarded in multiple categories and photos from each submission will be included in an online exhibit. Registration is required. Register here!
It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
It’s our favorite time of the year! Halloween 2021 is nearly upon us. Check out the many ways the VFC observes the spooky season.
Announcing the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program 2021/22 Cohort
The Vermont Folklife Center is pleased to announce the cohort of master artists and students comprising the 29th year of the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (VTAAP). Thirteen projects will be supported this year. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council, the Center initiated the program in 1992 to support the continued vitality of Vermont's living cultural heritage. More than 365 apprenticeships have been supported since 1992. Read about the 13 successful applicants of the 2020 - 2022 program cycle here.
Donated collection sees new life in VPR radio program
The Vermont Folklife Center archive holds over 6,000 audio recordings of interviews with Vermonters. Many have been conducted by VFC staff, but the Center also accepts materials donated by others who have conducted ethnographic and oral history research in Vermont and the surrounding region. This is the first in a series of posts that explores the archive through projects donated by outside researchers.
Virtual Gingerbread!
This year our Annual Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibit is going virtual! Open to any Vermont resident, bake and build an edible creation and submit photos online to participate in the contest. Prizes will be awarded in multiple categories and photos from each submission will be included in an online exhibit. Pre-registration is required. Register here!
Meet Sasha - VFC's New Director of Education!
The Board and Staff of the Vermont Folklife Center are thrilled to announce the appointment of Alexandra (Sasha) Antohin as the Center’s full-time Director of Education. “I cannot imagine a more qualified person to lead the Center’s education programming to new and exciting places” said Executive Director, Kate Haughey.
Vermont Traditional Artists - Staying Connected During Covid
As summer arrives the 2019-2020 cycle of the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (VTAAP) is winding down. We share some highlights from our pre- and post-Covid field visits with artists around the state.
Black Lives Matter
The Vermont Folklife Center is in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the fight for racial justice. We urge Vermonters to reflect on the ways in which systemic racism and oppression operate in our society. Thank you for listening, learning and supporting anti-oppression efforts in our communities.
Brattleboro Farm Stories
A wintry Sunday afternoon in Brattleboro. Seven local farmers invited to talk—surrounded by an exhibit of beautiful black-and-white photographs by Richard W. Brown titled The Last of the Hill Farms: Echoes of Vermont’s Past.
Hogwarts comes to 88 3/4 Main Street!
Check out photos from the VFC’s 21st Annual Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibit! This year’s theme was “Christmas at Hogwarts Castle.”
Brattleboro Bonanza!
Attention southern Vermont friends! This fall and winter the Vermont Folklife Center is bringing events and workshops to ‘the one-and-only’ Brattleboro. We are YOUR Folklife Center and we’re committed to bringing our work closer to you by sharing exhibits and films with statewide partners, holding workshops and presentations, and connecting with you in your own home towns. Check out the event listings here!