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Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs. Florida Folklife Archive
Title, Dates:
Folk Arts in Rural Education Project files, 1983.
Amount:
0.85 cubic ft.
Medium Included:
Organization/Arrangement:
Arranged by grade level (Box 1) or alphabetical by county (Box 2).
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
Legislation in 1979 (79-322, SB 1208) transferred the Florida Folk Arts component of the Stephen Foster Memorial to the Florida Department of State. Operating as the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs from ca. 1985 until 1995, the Bureau coordinated the annual Florida Folk Festival and directed such programs as Folk Arts Apprenticeships, Folk Arts in Education, Folk Heritage awards, annual research surveys and numerous other projects and programs. From 1995 through June 30, 2021, the renamed and reorganized Florida Folklife Program continued the majority of these operations from within the Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Historic Preservation in Tallahassee. During the 1995 reorganization, the State Archives of Florida acquired the Florida Folklife Collection from the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs’ previously maintained Florida Folklife Archives. Legislation in 2021 (2021-71, L. O. F., HB 909) transferred the Florida Folklife Program and its operations from the Division of Historical Resources to the newly renamed Division of Arts and Culture, previously the Division of Cultural Resources, effective July 1, 2021. The program is charged to "identify, research, interpret, and present Florida folk arts, artists, performers, folklore, traditions, customs, and cultural heritage and make folk cultural resources and folklife projects available throughout the state."
The Folk Arts in Rural Education Project was designed and headed by Nancy Nusz to help students in seven rural counties (Columbia, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor) develop an increased awareness and appreciation of their local, traditional culture. The project was funded by the Florida Arts Council with additional support from the seven participating school systems. Ms. Nusz initially collected information on local folk artists concerning their availability to give classroom presentations. She then worked with teachers and administrators to bring folklife studies into the classroom. Teachers attended a two day seminar that instructed them on the meaning and significance of folklife, on how to identify and use available resources in the classroom, and on how to develop lesson plans designed to implement folklife in the current curricula. Ms. Nusz then made two week visits to each of the participating schools facilitating in-class activities such as explaining folklife studies, presenting slide/tape programs on folk cultural topics, and bringing folk artists to the classroom.
Summary:
This series consists of interviews and field notes of local folk artists, fieldwork logs (records), clippings, correspondence with school administrators, pamphlets and maps that pertain to the seven counties (Columbia, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor) that participated in the Folk Arts in Rural Education Project headed by Nancy Nusz. In addition, there is a collection of genealogies and folklore on proverbs, medicine, songs, stories, holidays and recipies compiled by the students. Also there are evaluations of the project by both students and teachers.
Finding Aids:
Folder listing available.
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
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Publication Note:
General Note:
Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Folklore Florida Folklore and education Florida Children Folklore Florida Folklorists Florida Folk artists Florida Folk songs Florida Folk medicine Florida Proverbs Storytelling Public folklore Florida Folklife.
Florida Genealogy Florida Social life and customs Florida Songs and music
Added Entries
Nusz, Nancy.
Florida Folklife Program
Florida. Division of Archives, History, and Records Management.
Florida. Dept. of State.
for detailed listing.