Folk + Traditional Arts
Arts Midwest supports, informs, and celebrates the folk and traditional arts field in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond.
![A hand holds the start of a woven willow basket. There is a base structure made of criss-crossing sticks and woven on it with thinner branches is a concentric pattern.](https://artsmidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/6.P1490146-846x1024.jpg)
Midwest Culture Bearers Award
The Midwest Culture Bearers Award honors and amplifies the work of nine Midwestern folk arts and culture practitioners each year. We recognize that these individuals are deeply rooted in the practice and preservation of their cultural traditions through craft, storytelling, dance, performance, visual arts, language preservation and more.
![A person folds a collection of ribbons, in hues of blues, greens and deep red, on top of a cutting table. Their hands are in focus in the photo as another set of hands helps them with the task. There are a set of ribbon spools far in the background.](https://artsmidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UI084-1024x683.jpg)
Folk and Traditional Arts Resources
We’ve curated a list of valuable tools and information to help support Midwestern folk and traditional arts practitioners.
![A woman of medium skin tone shows off a colorful assortment of Native pottery.](https://artsmidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Marianne-Montgomery-pottery-Senora-Lynch-1024x698.jpg)
Recent Folk + Traditional Arts Stories
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February 4, 2025
Meet Rubén Pachas, The Dancer Spreading Indigenous Peruvian Traditions
By Cinnamon Janzer
Pachas’s traditional dances pass down indigenous values through stories about bridge building, Mother Earth, and even Lake Michigan.
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This Ohio Studio Makes Iconic Letterpress Prints for Renowned Musicians
February 27, 2024
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Meet South Dakotan Baxter Badure, A Handmade Saddle-Maker
January 18, 2024
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Community Mentorship Sets Sail with Wisconsin’s Hands On Deck
October 24, 2023
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A Bright Spot: The First Two-Spirit Powwow in Rapid City
September 21, 2023
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Turning Green Wood into Spoons in Rural Wisconsin
September 19, 2023
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Meet Dani Tippmann, a Native Plant Tradition Bearer in Indiana
September 12, 2023
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Folk Art Takes Root Among Rural Iowa Willow Weavers
September 6, 2023
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Ghanaian Music Moves Rural Michigan
August 16, 2023
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The Black Hills Are Alive With Finnish Music
May 4, 2023
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Calves, Cheese, and Creativity!
April 11, 2023
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Cross-Cultural Exchange: Inuit Music in the Midwest
March 29, 2023
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Over 100 Years in the Making: The Lakota Song Repatriation Project
December 12, 2022
Podcast: Music & Mental Health In Northern Minnesota
On this episode, we talk with Sam Miltich, a professional jazz guitarist from rural Minnesota who lives with schizophrenia. Sam shares how he’s found solace in nature and how he’s been able to balance his music career and mental health.
![An illustration of a person from behind carrying a guitar over their back, surrounded by plants and birds, standing in front of an outline of a human head](https://artsmidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Filling-the-Well_Art-and-Mental-Health-1-1024x1024.png)
Podcast: Art & The Land
On this episode, hear from two Ojibwe artists whose creative practices are deeply connected to the land. Birchbark and quill artist Pat Kruse and water walker Sharon Day share their perspectives on the importance of having a reciprocal relationship with the natural environment and caring for community.
![An illustration of a pair of hands holding a river and a grove of birch trees.](https://artsmidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Filling-the-Well-illustration_Land-v1-1024x1024.png)
Podcast: Digging Into The Indian Arts And Crafts Act
On this episode, embark on a thought-provoking exploration as Native artist advocates Christina Woods and Graci Horne dig into the intricacies of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990. This landmark truth-in-advertising law prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian arts and crafts, but many say that the legislation doesn’t go far enough to protect Native artists.
![A colorful illustration of three feathers rooting into the ground](https://artsmidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Filling-the-Well_Indian-Art-1024x1024.png)