Sights & SoundsRick Green and Jon Butler
Blacksmithing was among the first craft trades Europeans brought to the New World; in fact, a blacksmith was among the original group of 104 settlers that the Virginia Company of …
NewsNational Folk Festival: September 11-13, Greensboro, NC
First held in 1934, the National Folk Festival is the oldest multicultural festival of traditional arts in the nation. It is a traveling festival produced in partnership with communities around …
Sights & SoundsDanny Knicely and Jack Dunlap
Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley has long been fertile ground for the development of old-time and bluegrass music, and the Knicelys are one of its most prominent musical families. Multi-instrumentalist A. O. …
Sights & SoundsRemembering Joe Wilson
It is with deep sadness that we relay the news that Joe Wilson, tireless advocate for the traditional arts both here and abroad, passed away at the age of 77. …
Sights & SoundsHoustonFest Recap: Listen to Doyle Lawson, Jesse McReynolds, and Chuck Wagon Gang Workshop
The Virginia Folklife Program sponsored and participated in the fifth annual HoustonFest in Galax, Virginia, on May 1 and 2. HoustonFest commemorates the life of Houston Caldwell, a bluegrass banjo …
Sights & SoundsMagnificent: The Charlie McClendon Story
We have created an online exhibit that includes recent and archival video, audio, and still photography, and extensive interviews with Charlie McClendon, Richard Levin, and others. It also includes an edited film, “Put Me Down Easy: The Charlie McClendon Story.”
Sights & SoundsFolklife Master Artist Ganna Natsag meets the Dalai Lama
Ganna Natsag, a master artist of the Mongolian mask making tradition who lives in Arlington, traveled to India in December to visit the Dalai Lama in a quest for world …
Sights & SoundsThe (Real) Most Interesting Man in the World: Remembering Bob Cage
The sad news of the passing of our dear friend Bob Cage, at 91, brings me back to the first moment I pulled up to Bob’s property in South Boston, …
Sights & SoundsLive in Concert: 2014 Highlights
As we approach the end of the Virginia Folklife Program’s 25th year, we take great joy in looking back at some of the year’s highlights. Largely through the addition of …
Sights & SoundsRichmond Folk Festival: Tenth Year Rocks Again
More than 150,000 people joined the Virginia Folklife Program on the banks of the James River from October 10-12 for the tenth annual Richmond Folk Festival. This year’s festival provided …
Sights & SoundsApprenticeships Merge: Dale Wise restores Flory Jagoda’s accordion
Flory Jagoda, a master artist of the Sephardic ballad tradition, escaped from Bosnia in 1941. Her only possession was her Hohner Student III accordion. More than seventy years later, Dale …
Sights & SoundsApprenticeship Showcase: scenes from the day
The Virginia Folklife Program celebrated its eleventh annual Apprenticeship Showcase on September 21. It was a beautiful day of music, crafts, and food, and we thank those who came out …
