General news from the Montana Folk Festival.
Della BigHair-Stump, an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe from Crow Agency, Montana, is the visionary force behind Designs by Della. Her Apsáalooke name, Latter Day Achiever, reflects the strength and resilience woven throughout her work. She is of the Whistling Water Clan and a child of the Big Lodge. …
An enrolled member of the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation, her Crow name, Sweet Sage Woman, was given to her by her paternal grandmother, Francis Gardner OldDwarf, through a vision during the Crow Sundance. Yolanda was raised on the Crow Reservation by her parents, the late Nathan OldDwarf and Julie Kreitzberg. Yolanda …
An enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, Carrie resides on the Crow Reservation in southeastern Montana. Carrie is a fashion designer, bead artist, and doll maker who founded her brand Plains Soul in 2016—bringing to life a vision she’s carried since childhood. Carrie draws …
Rebekah Jarvey is an esteemed international fashion designer, artisan, model, and Fashion Show Director. She is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe and also represents her Cree and Blackfeet heritage. Rebekah is part of a four-generation legacy of beadwork and sewing, which she now continues with her son—making …
Corey D. Whiteman is a 19-year-old fashion designer from the Crow (Apsáalooke) and Assiniboine/Nakota tribes. He’s a member of the Greasy Mouth clan and child of the Whistling Water clan, raised on the Crow Reservation in Pryor, Montana. Corey’s Apsáalooke name, given to him by his uncle Del Laverdure, reflects …
Whether expressed through performance or tangible craft, folk and traditional arts convey the identity, values, and aesthetics of the communities from which they emerge. To ensure these traditions endure, communities—ethnic, occupational, regional, religious, or linguistic—must pass down the knowledge and techniques that sustain their practices. This accumulated wisdom and muscle …
Nestled in the heart of historic downtown Dillon, Montana, Frecker’s Saddlery has been handcrafting world-renowned Western saddles since its founding by the late Kent Frecker in 1990. Each saddle begins with meticulous measurements of a horse’s back, followed by the fabrication of a custom saddle tree that mirrors the animal’s …
Lake Berkeley Decoys is the creative partnership of Mark Mariano and Mary Sutherland, a husband-and-wife team based in Butte, Montana. Lake Berkeley Decoys is named after the Berkeley Pit, where Mark fell in love with waterfowl while studying their behavior and how to better protect them. Together, they handcraft traditional …
Nathan Kimpell grew up in Minnesota, the son of an architect and a nurse, and began making art at a young age—initially drawn to painting, drawing, and pottery. His interest expanded in high school and college to include hot glass, metal, and sculpture, eventually leading him to focus on metalwork …
Since 1996, Rose Atkinson has taught star quilt-making for the Cultural Arts Department at Fort Peck Community College, where her students have ranged in age from 18 to 80. She learned to quilt from her grandmother, Mary Evelyn Redwood Buckles, and began her own journey in 1981 with a baby …
(to be joined by granddaughter, Ali) Eva Boyd is a keeper and teacher of the Salish language and some of the oldest and rarest cultural arts of the Selis and Qlispe people. She comes from a family and an upbringing rich in the cultural knowledge and traditions of the Selis …
Linda King, born in St. Ignatius on the Flathead Indian Reservation and an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, is nationally acclaimed for her exquisite beadwork, regalia, weaving, and quilt work. In addition to her work as an artist, she has devoted more than twenty years to …
Olivia “Rose” Williamson, owner and operator of Lady Pompadour Beadwork and Design, has garnered widespread recognition within the Apsáalooke community and across the Northern Plains. Renowned for her expertise in traditional beadwork, Rose is affectionately referred to by friend Carrie Moran McCleary as a “certified bead florist,” further stating that …
Dan Roberts is a master luthier whose lifelong passion for woodworking began in his grandfather’s unconventional home workshop—where the bedroom stored lumber, and the living room was a fully equipped woodshop. As a boy, Dan learned to build simple projects there and continued his training with his father, in school …
Handweaver Allison Grove uses Montana wool yarns and plant dyes to portray nature in her art. Grove has a 25-year career in animal science research, but she found her way to weaving after her sister started spinning and sending her exquisite handspun yarns. This rekindled her love for the weaving …
Husband and wife duo Dan and Julia Schwarz craft timeless, handcrafted footwear with passion, precision, and artistry through their business, Schwarz Custom Boots. Drawing on decades of experience, they bring a unique blend of traditional boot-making and personal creativity to each pair they produce—earning a reputation for exceptional quality and …
As an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Tim Ryan’s work embodies the material culture and traditional, place-based ecological knowledge preserved by his ancestors for thousands of years. His research on Salish seasonal rounds, lifeways, and economy has driven him to revive, utilize, …
Glenn Brackett, a renowned fly-rod maker and devoted fisherman, traces his passion for angling back to his formative years spent fishing with his father and grandfather. He would often visit the Winston Rod Company during his youth, first around eight years old with his grandfather. As his father’s woodworking business …
American Jazz Tap | Baltimore, Maryland Alexandria “Brinae Ali” Bradley, born and raised in Flint, Michigan is an interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the conditions of the human spirit. When she is not traveling and performing, she is giving back to young …
Chinese Erhu and Tai Chi | Boston, Massachusetts Zhantao Lin is an erhu player based in Massachusetts. Before moving to the United States, he was an erhu faculty member at the Guangxi Arts Institute and was on the Board of Chinese Professional Erhu player’s Guild in China. He has performed …
Filipino Rondalla music | Los Angeles, California The rondalla string ensemble was introduced in the Philippines through Spain’s 350-year colonial rule of the islands. Consisting of guitar, 4-string bajo de uñas, 14-string bandurria, 14-string laud, and the original Pilipino-created instrument, the 14-string octavina, the rondalla has become an integral part of Pilipino cultural life. Rondalla …
Norwegian Fiddle Music | Seattle, Washington Sølvstål | Silversteel is a new project from hardanger fiddle player Mira Coquina Dickey and viola d’amore and fiddle player Lennart Jansson exploring the novel musical territory at the intersection of Norwegian fiddling and Irish traditional music. Their duet playing combines Mira’s expertise in the …
Rockabilly Thomas Wayne Hancock III (born May 1, 1965, in Dallas, Texas) better known as Wayne “The Train” Hancock, is an American singer-songwriter. Known as “The King of Juke Joint Swing.” His influences include Jimmie Rodgers, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Hank Thompson, Hank Williams and Hank Snow because they were all in his …
During the Montana Folk Festival, special attention is given to providing engaging educational hands-on activities for children and youth. The Family Area will be packed with interactive activities for children of all ages. Volunteers, educators and artists will be on hand to guide children through a variety of activities that …
Irish Traditional | New York, NY Solas is lighting up stages across the globe as they celebrate three decades of pushing boundaries and honoring traditions in Irish music! Hailed by The Boston Globe as “the finest Celtic ensemble this country has ever produced,” and by The Wall Street Journal as …
