Virginia Folklife Area 2009
Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces
Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces, will explore the artistry, diversity, and creativity of spiritual life in Virginia. Utilizing a variety of presentation methods, the program will highlight the diverse array of artistic expressions associated with spiritual life in the Commonwealth. The Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces area will feature a concert stage, ten to twelve material culture/craft display areas, documentary films and foodways demonstrations.
From the stunning a capella gospel quartets of Virginia’s Tidewater, to the dizzying number of spiritual expressions thriving in Virginia’s new immigrant communities, the forms of artistic expressions in Virginia are as diverse and varied as the different communities that practice them. In the area of music, it is nearly impossible to fully appreciate and understand the history of so many of the musical styles presented at the Richmond Folk Festival – from blues to bluegrass, from Cajun to conjunto – without understanding their spiritual roots. The Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces presentation will showcase the wide range of the “sacred arts,” that have thrived in the Commonwealth, from a wide variety of religions, denominations, and spiritual communities. Some of the music styles that will be featured are African-American Gospel, Sephardic Jewish balladry, Virginia Indian drum and dance, Laotian Buddhist chanting, Old Regular Baptist singing, and much more. Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship have also been the source of many stunning material art forms, and the Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces will feature such crafts as stained glass windows, African-American church hats, pipe organs, festival shrines, and much more.
The Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces concert stage and the material culture/craft demonstration and display area is this year’s presentation of the immensely popular “Virginia Folklife Area,” developed by the NCTA in partnership with the Virginia Folklife Program during the National Folk Festival’s three-year stay in Richmond, and its recent successful transition to the Richmond Folk Festival. Intensive fieldwork and curation has been undertaken to frame this subject in ways that are both educational and highly entertaining.
Curation of the festival’s Sacred Sounds - Sacred Spaces component will be coordinated by the Director of the Virginia Folklife Program, Jon Lohman, Ph.D. As Virginia’s State Folklorist, Jon brings many years of experience with festivals in developing, programming, and carrying out cultural presentations. Since assuming the directorship of the Virginia Folklife Program, Jon has initiated and carried out numerous programs, including statewide oral history workshops, a comprehensive guide for Virginia Folklife Resources, a highly successful Folklife Apprenticeship Program and exhibition, and he has produced numerous documentary materials, including films and audio recordings. He recently authored In Good Keeping, a book chronicling the Folklife Apprenticeship Program. As director of the Virginia Folklife Program, Jon has presented and served on curatorial committees for numerous local and national festivals, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Merlefest, Floydfest, the Lowell Folk Festival, the American Folk Festival. And Jon has been integrally involved in the Virginia Folklife Area here in Richmond since its inception. Jon will coordinate with folklorists, anthropologists, cultural scholars, museum professionals, community leaders and working artists (both lay and professional) to identify appropriate participants for the festival. Collaborative work will be undertaken when feasible and a number of Virginia-based scholars/folklorists will be invited to participate as stage presenters and workshop leaders.
Past themes of the Virginia Folklife Area include Virginia’s instrument makers, occupational traditions, Folklife Apprenticeships, and Virginia’s “New Neighbors.” The Virginia Folklife Area, which exclusively focuses on Virginia’s folk traditions, has become one of the most anticipated parts of the Richmond Folk Festival. Each year, as the Richmond Folk Festival evolves, we intend to investigate the folk and community life of Virginians in a variety of ways. The festival will always feature a wide variety of performance types and activities ranging from foodways demonstrations to craft displays. We will continue to present artists from across America and around the globe. We are also committed to keeping the festival free, accessible and ever-changing. While the subject matter will change from year to year and genres presented will range widely, our commitment to careful curation, professional presentation and community engagement will remain.
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