Message from the Director of the Folk & Traditional Arts Program While the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us from gathering in person to celebrate the 2021 National Heritage Fellows, we look to the Fellows as a reminder of how folk and traditional arts affirm and galvanize community life. In the 2021 Fellows, we find a stirring portrait of family relationships. Both Cedric Burnside and Anita Fields were mentored by a grandparent. Joanie Madden, Nellie Vera, and Tagumpay de Leon learned from a parent. Reggio McLaughlin and Los Lobos were shaped by the sounds, voices, and traditions of the collective family in their neighborhoods. The Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble learned from both family and the chosen family of religious congregation. And Tom Davenport has devoted his life’s work to documenting and sharing stories—through film—of the transmission of tradition, in families, neighborhoods, and sacred spaces.
Photo by Edwin Remsberg
All of this is a reminder of human connection, of the threads of tradition that are masterfully woven through our everyday lives by culture bearers. The National Heritage Fellows craft the sound, color, fiber, and meaning that shapes our most cherished cultural celebrations, and they carefully steward these traditions through times of duress. Congratulations to the 2021 National Heritage Fellows. We draw strength from your example and inspiration from your artistry.
Clifford R. Murphy, PhD Director, Folk & Traditional Arts, National Endowment for the Arts
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
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