Call for Applicants: Fairmont State Commissions New Performances Inspired by Tradition at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center
Fairmont State University has received funding from Mid Atlantic Arts to launch Accessing the Archives: New Works and Old Traditions at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. This initiative will commission new creative works inspired by the Folklife Center’s archival collections and is open to artists, musicians, scholars, and community members.
Applications will be accepted September 1–November 1. The application form is available online at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/EE4VL8JEvZ. Applicants may also apply by phone by contacting the Folklife Center directly at (304) 367-4403.
The Folklife Center archives house a rich collection of artifacts that reflect the cultural heritage of North Central West Virginia, including local folklore, traditional music, clothing, and community celebrations. This project seeks to bring those materials to life by commissioning new works—grounded in history yet reimagined for today—and presenting them to students, faculty, staff, and the wider community.
“We are always thinking about how to help the community experience our archival collections,” said Lydia Warren, Ph.D., Director of the Folklife Center. “But the collection items are old, fragile, and delicate. By providing a stipend and encouraging public performances based on the archives, we hope people can experience the archives—and our past—in new ways.”
Mid Atlantic Arts, one of six Regional Arts Organizations working in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, has supported artists, presenters, and cultural organizations since 1979 through programming, grant-making, and collaborations. Their Central Appalachia Living Traditions Folk and Traditional Arts Experiences program supports public projects in the Appalachian areas Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia that celebrate traditional arts and cultural knowledge.
Questions can be directed to the Folklife Center at wvfolklife@fairmontstate.edu or by phone at 304-367-4403.
