Arts and Culture - Folk Arts

日本語

The U.S. Congress in 1976 took action to preserve American folk life culture by establishing an American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress. In the "American Folklife Preservation Act," it says, "American folklife" means the traditional expressive culture shared within the various groups in the United States: familial, ethnic, occupational, religious, regional; expressive culture includes a wide range of creative and symbolic forms such as custom, belief, technical skill, language, literature, art, architecture, music, play, dance, drama, ritual, pageantry, handicraft; these expressions are mainly learned orally, by imitation, or in performance, and are generally maintained without benefit of formal instruction or institutional direction. "The diversity inherent in American folklife has contributed greatly to the cultural richness of the Nation and has fostered a sense of individuality and identity among the American people.

Of several museums devoted to the collection and exhibition of folkart, the best known is probably the American FolkArt Museum in New York City.

- Abridged from State Dept. Publications and other U.S. government materials
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[Last Updated: 9/13/2010]
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