FOLKFabulous

The McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards with a folk heritage event on Saturday, April 27, 2013, 10am-4pm . FOLKFabulous will feature live musical, dance, and storytelling performances; craft demonstrations; hands-on folk art-making activities; and opportunities to learn about and sample traditional South Carolina foodways. SC Humanities supported this event with a Mini Grant in March 2013.

The McKissick Museum, in partnership with the South Carolina Arts Commission, has administered the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards since 1988. More than 100 individuals, groups, and organizations have been honored for practicing or advocating for traditional art forms in the state. FOLKFabulous will celebrate these award-winners and the folk arts they practice. Some of the confirmed performers and presenters are 2013 Folk Heritage Award winner John Fowler (storytelling); M.J. Holden (luthier); Martha Benn MacDonald (highland fling, Scottish balladry); Ricky McDuffie & Family (gospel quartet); and Freddie Vanderford (blues). Additionally, folk heritage scholars Saddler Taylor and Jane Przybysz will introduce performances and presentations with background information about the art forms.

FOLKFabulous will take place on Saturday, April 27 on the University of South Carolina’s historic Horseshoe between Sumter, Bull, Pendleton, and Greene streets near the McKissick Museum. For more information about the McKissick Museum, please visit the website: http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/mckissickmuseum/index.php?q=welcome.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.

Image: 2013 Folk Heritage Award Winner John Fowler