Thank you for your interest in Traditional Arts Indiana (TAI). Indiana is a state rich in creativity and cultural traditions. Whether folk arts long valued in Indiana, or creative practices recently brought to our state, TAI’s public programs and research projects work to support and champion traditional arts in the lives of Hoosiers. I encourage visitors to our new website to learn about our work and our on-going initiatives such as TAI’s apprenticeship program, the Indiana Heritage Fellowships, and our Rotating Exhibit Network which freely tours to libraries around Indiana. In addition to these ongoing programs and services, TAI engages in special initiatives such as creative aging programs, traditional arts surveys, and public programs in state parks and festivals throughout Indiana.
We take great pride in the fact that research underpins the work that TAI does in the state. Our research includes longform interviews with tradition bearers, photographing the creative process of artists at work, and documenting the creative contexts that surround the expressive practices we study. Through this ethnographic fieldwork, we identify and document the traditional arts in communities throughout Indiana, with a collaborative eye and a willingness to assist communities in their culture work, when we can. Sometimes we make documentary films, facilitate narrative stages, curate exhibitions, and produce publications; other times we listen and consult with communities about how they can support their traditional arts.
As you peruse our new website, I hope you find information, resources, and programs that are useful to you. If you know of a community-based tradition or traditional artist you think we should know about, please let us know here.
