Cultural Arts Resource Directory

Cultural Arts are in most cases connected to the history and culture of which they are a part of. Cultural Arts are passed down in communities, usually from person to person or group to group, over time, changing as the community changes in order to be meaningful to the people who use them. These traditions exist in the context of community life- even when the community is transplanted to a new country, or when they have been displaced from an historic homeland. Cultural Arts are an expression of ethnic, tribal, occupational, religious and social groups and involve a shared sense of identity.

While Oregon increasingly becomes more diverse, there is a gap between preparing our teachers with appropriate cultural practices and access to resources. Educators around the state of Oregon were surveyed. The Cultural Arts Resource Directory was designed from the results of their responses. Predominant themes were lack of current, in-depth, reliable, hands-on and culturally appropriate materials.

What is most needed now are accessible, short term, highly focused professional development opportunities related to cultural traditions and ethnic groups to facilitate teachers in developing and using materials with students.

The Cultural Arts Resource Directory is a first step towards this goal. Within this directory you will find a comprehensive listing of programs, services, and resources to enhance cultural arts education in your schools, communities and homes. This is one of several efforts in helping Oregon educators and their students to become world leaders in understanding and appreciating a wide variety of cultures.

The Oregon Folklife Program (OFP) and the Oregon Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE) have partnered in developing the Cultural Arts Resource Directory. CARD provides annotated listings of cultural arts resources primarily in the state of Oregon and is a reference for Oregon educators and those interested in cultural arts education. It is available at two websites: Oregon Historical Society and StArt.

Click on links to the following PDF files contained in CARD. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access files. If you need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.



CARD is the first stage of a multi-year emphasis on cultural literacy in Oregon. If your cultural arts organization or group is not listed or needs to be updated, please send information to carol.spellman@ohs.org

The Oregon Folklife Program is a statewide program that documents, presents, and encourages the preservation of traditional arts in Oregon through public programs and educational outreach. It is a member of the Oregon Arts Commission's Regional Arts Education Network, providing arts and cultural programs for schools and youth.

Established in 1988 at the Northwest Writing Institute of Lewis & Clark College, the Folklife Program moved to the Oregon History Center in 1993. During its fifteen year history, OFP has made substantial efforts to increase the participation of under-represented populations in the state's arts and cultural programming, including folk artists and minority ethnic groups. For more information contact Oregon Folklife Program, 1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205-2483 (503) 306-5290 www.ohs.org

Current programs and projects include:

• Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program
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• Arts For New Immigrants Program
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• The Neighborhood Arts Program
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• Las Artes Tradicionales en la Communidad
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• Portraits of Oregon: Youth Exploring Culture and Community
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• Education Folk Roster of Traditional Artists

The Oregon Alliance for Arts Education is a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network. OAAE's mission is to champion, strengthen and celebrate the arts as an integral part of education for all Oregonians. OAAC sponsors the Oregon Teacher Arts Institutein partnership with the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Department of Education, hosts regional professional development workshops for teachers and administrators, is a member of the Arts for Learning Consorium,and annually honors arts education champions with Creative Ticket Awards.For more information, contact: Oregon Alliance for Arts Education 367 S.E. Cowls StreetMcMinnville, OR97128p (503) 434-1263; oaae@onlinemac.com; Oregon Alliance for Arts Education

Information in the Cultural Arts Resource Directory is provided by many different people. While we try to keep it accurate and up-to-date, we cannot guarantee that it always will be. If you see something in a document that should be corrected or updated, send mail to the address on the document or to folklife@ohs.org

Be sure to give the full URL of the document in your message.

Unless otherwise noted, the Web information may not represent official statements or views of Oregon Historical Society or the Oregon Folklife Program.

Use information here at your own risk.