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November 28, 2022 | Vol. 19, No. 9 |
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Master weaver Dixie Rogers (L; Karuk) with her 2018 ACTA apprentice in Karuk baby basketry, Julia McCovey (R; Yurok, Karuk). Photo: Shweta Saraswat-Sullivan/ACTA. |
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Caring for the Taproot, Caring for one Another…
Support Traditional Arts Today!
Traditional arts expressions have survived generations of change and upheaval. The last two and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic and this time of deep cultural and social reckoning prompt us to reexamine who and what matters.
We address these themes in our new publication, Tending the Taproot: Opportunities to Support Folk & Traditional Arts in the United States, where we highlight how traditional arts practices have always been political acts of social belonging, power, and justice. Borrowing from horticulture, our “taproot” metaphor describes how traditional arts as a collective expression provide stability and innovation. The health and vitality of underground roots tended by taproot artists contribute directly to the community vigor above ground.
On the leading edge of taproot care, traditional artists have always been leaders in their communities through challenging times. We take continued inspiration from the adaptive, creative, and resilient character of these stewards and their art forms.
Yet, the vast majority of traditional artists and organizations they lead have not received significant public and private investments to realize long-term visions for change in their communities.
You can help change this.
Will you join ACTA’s mission and make a tax-deductible gift
to support California's taproot artists and
thriving cultural communities?
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Introducing a New Publication from ACTA |
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Tending the Taproot:
Opportunities to Support Folk & Traditional Arts in the United States
A new publication of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, researched and written by Amy Kitchener, M.A., Shweta Saraswat-Sullivan, Ph.D., and Lily Kharrazi, M.A.
Tending the Taproot: Opportunities to Support Folk & Traditional Arts in the United States presents the findings of the Alliance of California Traditional Arts’ (ACTA) Taproot Initiative. This national planning effort, aimed to re-center traditional and folk artists and their art forms as catalysts for transformation and restoration in our larger society, is aligned with other important movements in the arts and culture sector to spur critical thinking and action during this hallmark moment of radical change.
This new report offers operational recommendations as a call to action to support taproot artist-leaders and organizations with focused investment in funding and development to do more and do better, resources for infrastructure, elevated national recognition, and new standards for robust data and research infrastructure. Our recommendations are evidenced by qualitative and quantitative research findings, grounded in ACTA’s quarter century of experience as a funder and advocate in this field.
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Engaging Tradition Video Series:
African Djembe Drumming with
Abdullatif Touncara
Learn and practice basic West African rhythms on the Djembe
Engaging Tradition is a series of educational videos that share the histories, practices, and communities behind several of California’s cherished traditional art forms. These videos are designed for teachers, students, and anyone interested in learning about traditional arts in a variety of educational settings. Browse through the videos below and you will find visualizations of history, personal narratives from culture bearers, and participatory demonstrations with artists, each contributing a thread to the rich cloth of our shared cultural heritage.
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Communities of Change: Traditional Arts as Enduring Social Practice in California’s Bay Area
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A new publication of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts,
commissioned by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
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Searching for quilting lessons?
Looking to hire a square dance caller?
Try the California Traditional Artists Plaza
A new, free resource for artists and the public
to Learn, Hire, and Engage.
ACTA's California Traditional Artists Plaza facilitates engagement with artists by foregrounding work-for-hire opportunities that will positively impact the livelihoods of traditional artists. During the Covid-19 pandemic, ACTA saw a need to build out a new tool to increase opportunities not just for sharing information, but for hiring traditional artists for both remote and in-person engagements, recognizing their work as critical to the economic recovery of the California arts sector.
The California Traditional Artists Plaza creates a new, centralized space for traditional artists to advertise their work and create new connections online.
Submit a profile today, or browse the artists' dynamic offerings, from remote lessons, to consultations, to handmade visual arts and crafts.
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2007 Apprenticeship mentor artist Leanne Mounvongkham and apprentice Kami Thephavong in Northern Lao Weaving and Foodways, Fresno. Photo: Sherwood Chen/ACTA. |
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Featured Opportunities__________________ |
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We invite you to join us for Let’s Talk: What Artists Need To Thrive, a live series of Zoom conversations, kicking off on Thursday, December 8, at 12 PM PT. This series is hosted by and co-created with Bay Area artist Beatrice Thomas. Beatrice is a founder and director of Authentic Arts & Media, cultural strategist and creative producer.
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ACTA promotes and supports ways for cultural traditions to thrive now and into the future by providing advocacy, resources, and connections for folk and traditional artists and their communities. |
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