Texas Folklife

Texas Folklife promotes, presents and documents the state's rich cultural legacy through a vibrant mix of exhibitions, performances, community residencies, apprenticeships, and educational programs in Austin and around the state. Texas Folklife is committed to preserving the diverse living heritage of Texans, while exploring the vital role of tradition in contemporary society. Dubbed "one of the state's true cultural treasures" by the Austin American-Statesman, Texas Folklife is widely viewed as a model for public folk arts programming for the accessible, joyful experiences we make possible.

To bring Austin artists and compelling Texas stories to a statewide and national audience, we have launched radio and television projects, including The Border Radio Show, which began broadcasting on National Public Radio in 2006 and The Big Squeeze documentary about our contest for young accordion players by famed director, Hector Galán, began national broadcasts on PBS in 2009. We bring the best of the traditional arts to Austin and support the careers of Austin's traditional artists by bringing their work to a broad audience.

Texas Folklife is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and benefits from a strong reputation among regional and national peers and colleagues in the arts. In 2010, we were one of only 18 Texas arts organizations to receive National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Recovery Funds to maintain and expand staffing and one of only 6 to receive $50,000. Recently we were invited to present for the Home Grown: The Music of America concert series at the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center in September 2012. In Austin, we are working on developing our Stories from Deep in the Heart an oral history and radio project with students and teachers to document family and community traditions and arts, as well as another project devoted to foodways. These NEA and City of Austin funded initiatives will bring us into new communities and collaborations, and enrich our programming for years to come.