2024 Montana Folklife

This year, the Montana Folk Festival is partnering with the Montana Arts Council to bring Montana Circle of American Master (MCAM) award recipients to the Montana Folklife Area of the Montana Folk Festival. Developed and implemented over a decade ago, MCAM celebrates the contributions of Montana’s master artists in traditional and folk arts. Currently featuring a roster of 52 artists, a member of Montana’s Circle of American Masters is a person who, throughout their lifetime of work in the traditional arts, has created a notable body of work and demonstrated an unyielding commitment to the longevity of their community and craft; they are the custodians of centuries-old traditions, techniques, and knowledge passed down through generations. Of significant cultural and artistic stature, their work is representative of the historic, traditional, and innovative arts distinctive to their cultural communities and is worthy of note on both a state and national level.

The folk and traditional arts are rooted in a community (ethnic, geographic, linguistic, religious, occupational) or family. They reflect the aesthetics, beliefs, and values of the community in which they arise and are often symbols of a group’s identity. Folk and traditional artistry include forms of tangible artistry, such as ledger art, lutherie, quilting, and rosemaling. Intangible folk arts include dance, songs, instrumental music, storytelling, foodways, and local architecture, all of which are forms of traditional arts not designed as visual. Traditional bearers and their folk practices represented in this year’s demonstration area will include Diane Scalese’s silver engraving, Eva Boyd’s basketry and beading, Glenn Brackett’s bamboo fly rod building, Glenn Goldthwait’s blacksmithing, Marc Brogger’s saddlery, Maude Knudsen’s weaving and fiber artistry, Mike Ryan’s custom boot making, Olivia “Rose” Williamson’s beading and fashion design, Terry Hill’s woodturning, and Tom Dean’s woodcarving. All these grassroots ways of knowing have woven Montana’s rich heritage and cultural tapestry.

Traditional arts are learned through careful observation and practice, usually from elders and masters and often passed on from one generation to the next. They can be self-taught within a tradition wherein the folk practitioner or artist is of the cultural background that the practice originates. The tradition bearers representing MCAM during this year’s festival were not only selected for the honor due to their artistic excellence but also because of the way they honor their practice through their commitment to its continuation through offerings of mentorship, apprenticeships, workshops, and classes. Their generous participation in this year’s event will provide festival attendees–from those familiar with traditional arts to those just discovering–with the opportunity to learn more about the artists’ stories, cultural communities, practices, and their methods, tools, techniques, and materials.

Mike Korn, Montana’s first state folklorist, and Cindy Kittredge, the creator of MCAM, will bring these tradition bearers to the demonstration stage, conducting live interviews and spotlighting each artist. Without these artists and their stewardship, their unique cultural perspective and artistic expression would be lost to us, so join us for “Montana Mastery: Celebrating Folk Arts Excellence Under the Big Sky” to honor their work and lifetime of cultural wisdom. — Check out last years Folklife Area.