Did You Know? - “Jeanne Brink: Basket Maker”
The VFC Archives is full of amazing first-person accounts of everyday life in Vermont and New England–past and present. In this feature, we'll share these stories with you.
This month meet Abenaki basket maker Jeanne Brink. Jeanne is someone with the distinction of having been both an apprentice in the early years of the Vermont Traditional Art Apprenticeship Program and later a mentor artist, coming full circle to pass on the knowledge, skills and traditions that she learned.
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.
Educational Partnership Profile: Middlebury College’s Dr. Amy Morsman’s “Chronicling COVID-19” Project
This past January, Education and Media Specialist Mary Wesley introduced Middlebury College students to the VFC’s ethnographic approach to oral history through Professor Amy Morsman’s course “Chronicling COVID.” … READ MORE
Maple Sweet Vermont
To mark the 2022 sugaring season we asked Vermont folk singer and musician Arthur Davis of Brattleboro, VT to share a rendition of the classic Vermont folk song, Maple Sweet.
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.
Did You Know? - “If the Shoe Fits”
The VFC Archives is full of amazing first-person accounts of everyday life in Vermont and New England–past and present. In this feature, we'll share these stories with you.
We begin with master shoemaker Dan Freeman of Middlebury and apprentice Anne Callahan who worked together beginning in 2004. Freeman’s shop, Dan Freeman’s Leatherwork, has been a Middlebury staple for decades.
Drawing Turner Family Stories: An Interview with Marek Bennett
Turner Family Stories is a recent publication from VFC that brings together cartoonists and oral history to share the family stories and personal experiences of Daisy Turner of Grafton, Vermont with new audiences. Contributing cartoonist Marek Bennett spoke to us adapting Alec Turner’s extraordinary journey from Virginia to Vermont and how his life complicates how Civil War history is told and presented.
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!
Franco-American Culture From the Outside: Identity and Education In Reflection
Last fall, the Vermont Folklife Center launched a limited term engagement with five educators with music and intercultural teaching expertise to develop approaches for integrating Franco-American music for K–12 in classroom learning and across content areas. Emma Auer, VFC Fall 2021 intern who participated in these meetings that concluded in early December, offers her perspective on this experience as shaped by her own educational journey in New England.
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!
VFC Holiday Gift Guide 2021
Looking for some suggestions for last minute holiday gifts? Our staff made you a list! Here are some of our favorites—old and new—that might just suit your needs.
Drawing Turner Family Stories: An Interview with Francis Bordeleau
Turner Family Stories is a recent publication from VFC that brings together cartoonists and oral history to share the family stories and personal experiences of Daisy Turner of Grafton, Vermont with new audiences. Contributing cartoonist Francis Bordeleau’s comic, “I am Vindicated” retells a story of heartbreak and betrayal that culminated in Daisy bringing Boinay to court for breach of promise--and winning.
Moore Free Library’s Community Memory Project
In the Fall of 2020 the Moore Free Library in Newfane, VT started a community-wide interviewing/oral history project to preserve the memories of residents of their town and the surrounding towns of Williamsville, South Newfane and Brookline. The Project has been an amazing success and as it project moves into its second year, we wanted to hear what participants have to say about their efforts and the experience of working on the project. 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.
Reflections 10 Years after Irene from Mendon, Vermont
On July 14, 2021, twelve residents of Mendon, Vermont gathered to discuss the lasting impact of Tropical Storm Irene, which is approaching its 10 year commemoration. As the Vermont Folklife Center's summer intern, and University of Vermont student, I helped facilitate a group conversation called a story circle. The opportunity to look at the impact of Irene as a story circle observer allowed me to witness the importance of community and helping out your neighbors.
Ethnography and Community - Online Public Discussion Series offered this Summer
The Vermont Folklife Center will host a series of four online presentations, in conjunction with our Summer Institute programming, August 2-13, 2021. These virtual events are free and open to the public. Through guided discussions with local educators, artists, and VFC staff, each session will offer a different perspective on how ethnography, an approach and set of methods for understanding and representing human experience, can inform and strengthen community-based inquiry and knowledge creation.
Applications Now Open for 2021-2022 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program
The Vermont Folklife Center is pleased to announce the 29th year of the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program (VTAAP). With funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Center initiated the program in 1992 to support the continued vitality of Vermont's living cultural heritage. In partnership with the Vermont Arts Council, VTAAP provides stipends of up to $2,000 to master artist and apprentice pairs to cover time, materials, and travel expenses. 2021 applications from master artist and apprentice pairs will be accepted through September 3rd.