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Purpose of the directory
The traditional arts in Illinois have a rich history.
Ethnic and folk artists continue to teach others the art forms they have
learned by word-of-mouth, watching a master artist, or attending traditional
or cultural art classes.
This directory aims to demonstrate the numerous and
varied art forms that people are creating everyday as a reflection of
the community to which they belong. The ethnic and folk artists in this
directory work in a range of art forms including dance, music, material
culture or crafts, and oral traditions such as storytelling. To learn
more about these disciplines, please visit (link). The ethnic and folk
arts organizations in the directory promote culture and art through various
programming, including festivals, classes and concerts.
How to Use the Directory
To search for all the ethnic and folk artists and
organizations in a region or county, or to see all the artists and organizations
in a particular discipline, please use the advanced search section of
the search page. This will allow you to search everything in a particular
area and discipline. If you are looking for a specific organization, name
or type of artist (i.e. Polish Papercutting), use the keyword search.
Note to Presenters
Many of the artists and organizations are available
for hire. A list of offerings appears in the left bar under the contact
information. The directory makes no qualitative judgement about the artists
listed. Presenters using this directory as a guide may find it helpful
to request references. Please visit the ArtsTour and Arts-in-Education
rosters for touring and residency artists that the IAC supports.
How information was collected
The IAC invited artists who have received Master Apprentice
grants and Ethnic and Folk Arts Fellowship Awards, artists on the Arts-in-Education
and ArtsTour Rosters, Illinois Artist Registry, and those who have requested
inclusion in the directory.
Artists and organizations discovered through IAC programs
like the Illinois Mississippi Valley Project are also included in the
directory. Fieldworker Chris Vallillo collected the information for the
Illinois Mississippi River Valley Project. During the summer of 2004,
Éva Kiss, working through a partnership with the Illinois Folklife
Society, visited many sites in southeastern Illinois to encourage artists
to participate in the directory. To highlight the artists that Éva
contacted, a picture will be included with their information.
Artists listed in this directory were asked for their
permission to publish their contact information. Organizations new to
the IAC were also asked to submit further information for the directory.
Join the directory
Undoubtedly, many artists and organizations have been overlooked, therefore
research and collection is ongoing. Ethnic and Folk Artists may be listed
in the directory by contacting the Director
of Ethnic and Folk Arts, Literature and Presenters Programs. Listings
are made without charge.
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