The Folk Arts and Material Culture Section of the American Folklore Society serves to promote and showcase research in all aspects of material culture scholarship. Members have interests that range from Tibetan altar creation to the landscape of the American west, from quilts made of unconventional fabrics to art cars. The section works to support not only the presentation of material culture scholarship via sponsored sessions at the American Folklore Society Annual Meetings but also the recognition and display of local art and artists at those meetings.
The Folk Arts section also sponsors an annual Warren E. Roberts Prize for Best Student Paper in Folk Art, which provides a $100 honorarium. For more information about this award, see the prize’s page.
Future plans for the Folk Arts Section at AFS Annual Meetings include development of section-sponsored mini-presentations with discussants, local site and museum visits in and/or near conference cities and promotion of more poster presentations.For more information about the Folk Arts section or any of the projects it sponsors, please contact the section’s convener, Martha C. Sims.
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Sign in to the AFS Member Portal to join the section and ensure you’re receiving section communications. All of your section involvement can be managed under My Info.
Click here to pay section dues ($5).