Virginia Humanities

Liberation and Belonging in Community through Song

Join us and Springhouse Community School for a five-day series exploring the themes of liberation and belonging in community through song. Wednesday May 15th, 7:30pm: a concert by Tim Eriksen at the Floyd Country Store Thursday May 16th, 9:30-11:30am: workshop with Tim Eriksen at Springhouse Community School. We will explore several musical traditions and connections to […]

Soul Supper: Cora Harvey Armstrong

Our Virginia Folklife Program has partnered with The Front Porch to bring celebrated gospel singer and piano player Cora Harvey Armstrong to Charlottesville for a special performance as part of the Front Porch’s “Soul Supper” monthly concert series. This concert series, highlighting masters of American Roots Music, will feature a family style dinner at 5:30 pm and music at 7 pm. Dinner […]

Lua Project Announces Mexilachian Son

New Sones from an Emerging Virginia Culture, May 11-12

Announcing a weekend of public performances featuring Veracruz, Mexico based Son Jarocho master musician and poet Zenen Zeferino in collaboration with roots music ensemble the Lua Project. Luray, Va—Mexilachian Son is a multimedia project featuring extensive interviews with Latino immigrants in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. With support from Virginia Humanities, Lua Project artists […]

Announcing Folklife Apprenticeship Class of 2019-2020

Virginia Humanities’ Virginia Folklife Program announces the 2019-2020 class of Master artists in the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Through a competitive selection process, Master artists are chosen from diverse Folklife practices and traditions and paired with an apprentice. The seven new teams join more than 120 pairs of masters and apprentices who have taken part […]

2019 Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase

Join Virginia’s folk masters and their apprentices for a celebration of traditional music, food, and crafts at James Monroe’s Highland, just outside of Charlottesville. The showcase will feature the graduating class of masters and apprentices and welcome in the new class, plus many Virginia Folklife apprenticeship program alumni. Audiences will enjoy live musical performances and […]

A Mighty Tapestry

Preserving Traditions that Amplify the Commonwealth’s Diverse Heritage

The Virginia Folklife Program’s apprenticeship teams are preserving an array of traditions that amplify the Commonwealth’s diverse cultural heritage.

Exploring Indigenous Foodways

What did food sovereignty look like in Virginia prior to the arrival of Europeans?

What did food sovereignty look like in Virginia prior to the arrival of Europeans?  Why have Native American foodways changed so dramatically? And how are Indigenous communities building healthy, just, food systems today? In October, our Food & Community project set out to explore these questions through a series of workshops with leaders in Indigenous […]

Lua, David Wax Museum w/ Zenen Zeferino

Lua Project, Zenen Zeferino Huervo and David Wax Museum invite you to come and join us for Charlottesville’s first Fandango celebration of Son Jarocho music from the mountains of Verecruz Mexico to the Appalachias of Virginia. A Virginia Humanities grant helped Zenen Zeferino Huervo and Lua ​ collaborate on this unique musical project where traditional Son Jarocho songs are […]

2018 Richmond Folk Fest

Oct. 12-14

The Richmond Folk Festival features more than thirty performing groups on seven live music stages with continuous music and dance performances, along with children’s activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods, and more. The FREE three-day festival is expected to be one of the largest events in Virginia, drawing visitors from across the […]

Indigenous Lunch – Symposium on Food Sovereignty

Virginia Humanities’ Food & Community project and Virginia Indian Programs are collaborating with the University of Virginia Sustainable Food Strategy Task Force on a two-day Bicentennial Symposium event, Our Evolving Food System: from Slavery to Sovereignty. This public, free symposium will take place at the University of Virginia (UVA) October 17-18 2018, featuring an Indigenous lunch sponsored […]

Explore the Art of Masquerade

at the 14th Annual Richmond Folk Festival

Charlottesville, VA— Virginia Humanities joins the Richmond Folk Festival in announcing the Virginia Folklife Area theme for the 2018 Richmond Folk Festival: “Masquerade.” When: The Richmond Folk Festival takes place Friday, October 12, beginning at 6:00 PM, through Sunday, October 14 at 6:00 PM. The Virginia Folklife Area will be open Saturday, October 13 and […]

Free Lunch Exploring Native Foodways

To Be Served at UVA Symposium on Food Sovereignty

Charlottesville, Va. – Virginia Humanities’ Food & Community project and Virginia Indian Programs are collaborating with the University of Virginia Sustainable Food Strategy Task Force on a two-day Bicentennial Symposium event, Our Evolving Food System: from Slavery to Sovereignty. This public, free symposium will take place at the University of Virginia (UVA) October 17-18 2018, featuring […]