Missouri Folk Arts Program Announces 2026 Living Traditions Fellows
The Missouri Folk Arts Program is excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 Missouri Living Traditions Fellowship, an award to recognize the artistic excellence and exceptional lifetime achievement of living traditional artists and community scholars in the Show Me State.
For 2026, Missouri Folk Arts recognizes three individuals for their deep-rooted contributions to traditional arts within their vibrant Missouri communities:
Mary Barile
Traditional Rug Hooker and Documentarian, Boonville, MO
Mary Barile learned rug hooking as a child in upstate New York beside her mother and a circle of friends who gathered socially to hook rugs. In 2001, Barile relocated to Missouri, and for the last twenty-five years, she has practiced, mentored, researched, documented, curated, and interpreted the tradition in the Midwest and, particularly, Missouri.
Brian Hawkins
Documentarian of Missouri French Traditions, Harrisonville, MO
Brian Hawkins is a visual artist, animated filmmaker, ragtime musician, and documentarian, who relishes delving into archival materials to share stories with more widely. Over the last decade, for instance, Hawkins has explored the Missouri French region in and near Old Mines, Missouri, in person and from primary resources held at The State Historical Society of Missouri and other depositories. From that research, he turned to another expertise–cut paper animation–to share Missouri French traditional tunes, folk tales, and personal experience stories.
Marquise Knox
Blues Musician, Educator, and Advocate, Bowling Green, MO
Marquise Knox came to the Blues tradition early with the support of family, especially his grandmother Lilly Mae and his great uncle Clifford. As early as eleven years old, Knox was welcomed to jam with local legends. He enjoyed and cultivated relationships with a who’s who of Blues greats from St. Louis to Grenada, MS. Since that time, Knox has grown immensely as a musician and as staunch advocate for the distinct St. Louis tradition.
We sometimes make mistakes, and we are happy to correct any errors that you may come across on our site. If you find an error, please let us know using the “submit a correction” link.