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Inspired by the Arts?
These websites will help connect you to artists and art events in your area.
Arts Agencies, Coalitions, and Networks
• National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the NEA is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing art to all 50 states, including rural areas and inner cities.
• Regional Arts Organizations
Provides information on six regional arts organizations, with additional links to
state arts agencies and national arts resources.
• Americans for the Arts
Provides numerous links to journals, non-profits, cultural policy academic research centers, and community guides.
• Arts Action Fund
Promotes art education in schools and advocacy for the arts at the state and local level.
• Community Arts Network
Promotes information exchange, research, and critical dialogue within the field of community-based art.
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)
Helps locate art agencies in your state and find information on arts-related websites.
Folklife and Traditional Culture
• Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
The Center promotes the understanding and continuity of diverse, contemporary grassroots cultures in the United States and around the world. It produces the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Smithsonian Global Sound, exhibitions, documentary films and videos, symposia, publications, and educational materials.
• National Endowment for the Arts, Folk and Traditional Arts
Provides an extensive list of resources relating specifically to folk and traditional arts.
• American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress
Learn about folklife, and search for folklife resources by state.
• American Folklore Society
Learn about folklore, link to folklore websites around the country, and find suggestions for incorporating folklore into K-12 education.
• Cultural Arts Resources for Teachers and Students (CARTS)
Dedicated to the documentation, presentation, and preservation of America's living cultural heritage, this organization's website provides many arts-in-education resources and activities.
• TAPNET
A very comprehensive directory of traditional arts programs in the United States.
Poetry
• The Academy of American Poets
Find information about poets, hear them read poetry aloud, and search out poetry events near you.
• Western Folklife Center
Features cowboy poetry and more of western traditional culture.
Rural Communities and the Arts
• Northern Forest Center
This organization addresses issues ranging from cultural heritage to economics, ecology, and community development.
Storytelling and Songwriting
• National Storytelling Network
Look for information on events and programs (including the National Storytelling Festival), as well as a storytelling directory and a guide on "How Do I Become a Storyteller?"
• California Indian Storytellers Association
Serves as a storytelling forum for the indigenous people of the Americas.
• Nature Story
Storyteller Kevin Strauss presents Tales with Tails Storytelling Programs.
• The Art of Story Telling
Provides links to storytelling basics and techniques, storytellers, organizations, and publications.
• The Muse's Muse
Learn how to get started in songwriting and meet other songwriters on their message board.
Woodcarving
• Woodcarvers.org
Frequently asked questions for people who are interested in getting started in woodcarving provided by the Northwest Woodcarvers Association.
• Woodcarving Associations
Find a woodcarving association in your area.
• Woodburning.com
Find a woodcarving club in your state.
Instrument Making
• Folk Stuff
Information for instrument makers, instrument designs, and folk musicians.
• Guild of American Luthiers
Everything for string instrument makers including instrument plans.
• Mark Shepard's Flute page
Learn about flute making and playing. Detailed instructions on how to make a flute from PVC plumber's pipe.
Textile Weaving
• Cancu Ota, On-Line Native American Newsletter Illustrated instructions on Native American weaving crafts: finger, diagonal, chevron weaving, and more. Check their archive for more craft ideas.
• Fiber Resources
Fiber-related sites and organizations.
• The Textile Museum
Learn about weavings and other textiles from around the world. Features an interactive learning experience titled "Common Threads."
• Weaving
Educational site with numerous links to weaving resources and hands-on activities.
Basket Weaving
• National Basketry Organization
Features traditional and contemporary basketweaving. Find basketry events near you on their Calendar.
• Native Basketry: Survival, Beauty
Links to Native American basketry sites. Includes descriptions of the natural materials used.
• The Pine Needle Group
Find classes online and by region in pine needle basketry, coiling, etc.
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