Folk arts

The Folk Arts Program documents, supports, and publicly presents the traditional arts and lifeways of Utah’s cultural communities.

About

Folk and traditional arts encompass a wide array of artists and communities. Cowboys, farm folk, and American Indians living in urban and rural areas and on reservation lands – as well as the many cultural, occupational, and ethnic groups throughout Utah – each have unique identities, histories, and artistic practices. Their traditional arts include crafts, music, dances, and stories passed down through families and shared culture groups. These art forms, which often reflect the values and knowledge of earlier generations, are a vital component of Utah’s diverse cultural heritage.
Utah Division of Arts and Museums. Utah Folklife.

Utah Folklife Podcast

Utah Folklife is a podcast series from Utah Division of Arts & Museums. Exploring the many forms of traditional artistic expression in the state, Utah Folklife explores the vital importance of folklife through the words of those who practice these art forms. Find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio. 

Folk Arts Collection

Utah’s Folk Arts Collection was established in 1976. This collection of works made by Utah artists includes not only paintings and sculpture, but also handmade rugs, woodcarving, metalwork, and more. It contains over 400 pieces of folk art ranging from handcrafted saddles and American Indian beadwork to a variety of traditional crafts from the state’s European, Asian, Latino, and Polynesian communities. Some objects are also featured in both traveling and temporary exhibits.

Chase Home Museum

The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is the only museum in the country dedicated to displaying a state-owned collection of contemporary folk art. It features objects made by Utah artists from the state’s American Indian, rural, occupational, and ethnic communities, offering a snapshot of Utah’s contemporary culture and heritage. The Chase Home, built more than 150 years ago in a traditional hall-and-parlor style from adobe bricks, is a fine example of 19th-century vernacular architecture.

Annual Events

Mondays in the Park: This free concert series, produced in partnership with Salt Lake City Arts Council, is held on Monday evenings in July and August at the Chase Home Museum in Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park.

Living Traditions Festival: This free three-day festival is held every third weekend in May at Washington and Library Square. Produced in partnership with the Salt Lake City Arts Council, Living Traditions celebrates the many cultural traditions of multiple communities that call Utah home. 

Folk Arts Workshops: Learn more about diverse folk art traditions. Spend time at the Chase Home with local folk artists in these hands-on workshops. Artists, dates, and prices vary. Visit the Chase Home Facebook page for the most up-to-date info on workshops.

Funding

Funding to support folk, ethnic, and traditional arts is available on an annual basis. The opportunities assist individual artists and cultural communities in developing, perpetuating, or presenting their own traditional art forms.

  • Folk Arts Apprenticeships support master folk artists to pass on cultural traditions to selected students.
  • Folk Arts Cultural Preservation Grants assist individual artists, organizations, and cultural communities in documenting and presenting their traditional art forms.
    More information about our grants can be found here.

Questions?

 
 

Ian Hallagan, Folk Arts Coordinator
801.645.2821
[email protected]