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Watch Live webcast of National Heritage Fellows Concert
We are coming up on the last week of September, which means it’s time for the annual feting of our country’s National Heritage Fellows. This year’s fellows include former Massachusett’s resident and...
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What do you hold on to?
Come join us for a film, a hands-on weaving experience, and a faciliated conversation about the complex meanings of cultural heritage for refugees. Mone Saenphmmachak is a master weaver. She is also a...
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History of Dance in Cambodia
Journey from 1965 Cambodia to present-day Lowell and experience the transformation of an art form, once almost lost. Our next Lowell Folklife Series takes place on November 19, 2013 at the Visitor...
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“The Beautiful Music All Around Us”
Last week I had the good fortune of introducing Stephen Wade at the Cambridge Forum in Harvard Square. Like an archaeologist revisiting a dig site 75 years later, Wade went back to 13 Southern towns...
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The Art of Folding Paper
American Alligator, designed by Michael LaFosse; folded by LaFosse and Richard Alexander (50 hours total) from one, uncut, 6′ square of handmade paper by Alexander It’s the time of year when we start...
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The art of Polish paper cut design
Susan Urban practices the Polish art of wycinanki (paper cut design). She also makes cut paper dolls wearing costumes from different regions of Poland. Generations of West Springfield school children...
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Mexican Piñatas by Angelica Ortiz
Perhaps you’ve tried breaking open a piñata at a birthday party, but did you know that this paper mache object has roots in religion? The Spanish brought the tradition of piñatas to Mexico, to help...
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Recycling festival T-shirts to make paper!
Drew Matott had an “aha” moment when he first realized paper could be made from old clothes. He and Margaret Mahan have gone on to bring the transformative experience of hand paper making to people...
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Musical worlds
One of the gratifying things about being a folklorist is being able to connect tradition bearers with potentially influential people, resources, and opportunities. When done well, the folklorist plays...
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We are just weeks away from the 2015 Lowell Folk Festival
The Lowell Folk Festival is coming right up on July 24-26th. In addition to checking out music and dance performances and sampling some of the best ethnic food served at a festival, consider spending...
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The “whole nine yards” — telling the story of the unstitched garment from...
Guest Blog by Lakshmi Narayan, Auburndale, MA When Maggie Holtzberg asked me if I would participate in the Lowell Folk Festival, I was excited to be able to share my fascination for the “unstitched...
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Diwali goes Mainstream
What does it mean when ancient holdidays, grounded in ethnic identity and religious belief and celebrated by cultural insiders for centuries, are brought to mainstream, high profile venues to be...
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Connecting Curator and Artist
On some days, my job as a folklorist is especially gratifying. This past week I had the pleasure of facilitating a meeting between Cambodian ceramist Yary Livan and Louise Cort, Curator of Ceramics at...
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HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: Folk Masters of Massachusetts Showcase Concert
We are excited to announce a May 14 showcase concert featuring the excellence and diversity of music and dance traditions thriving in Massachusetts today. Performers are past or current recipients of...
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Recycling festival T-shirts to make paper!
Drew Matott had an “aha” moment when he first realized paper could be made from old clothes. He and Margaret Mahan have gone on to bring the transformative experience of hand paper making to people...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Musical worlds
One of the gratifying things about being a folklorist is being able to connect tradition bearers with potentially influential people, resources, and opportunities. When done well, the folklorist plays...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We are just weeks away from the 2015 Lowell Folk Festival
The Lowell Folk Festival is coming right up on July 24-26th. In addition to checking out music and dance performances and sampling some of the best ethnic food served at a festival, consider spending...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“Hiding in Plain Sight” Concert Brings the World to Rockport
Despite gale force winds and rain on Mothers’ Day, the show went on. And what a show it was! We were delighted to have the opportunity to showcase a sampling of our state’s traditional artists to...
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Of Saddles and Horse Fly Blankets
Festival season is upon us once again. We have a wonderful line-up of craft artists who will be demonstrating at this summer’s Lowell Folk Festival. This year’s folklife area features individuals...
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Mexican Piñatas by Angelica Ortiz
Perhaps you’ve tried breaking open a piñata at a birthday party, but did you know that this paper mache object has roots in religion? The Spanish brought the tradition of piñatas to Mexico, to help...
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