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The Mississippi Folklife Directory showcases the people, places, art forms and expressive culture of the state’s traditional arts communities.
The traditional arts are artistic expressions of community life. They often reflect the shared values, identity and aesthetics of a community.
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Craft
Mississippi is home to scores of individuals who create objects of beauty for everyday and ceremonial use. Basketmakers, blacksmiths, woodcarvers, quilters, and many others are featured here.
Craft
view allPerformance
The state has a rich legacy of performance-based arts that span many genres including Choctaw social dance, blues, gospel, hip-hop, old-time, bluegrass, punk, and the music and dance traditions of immigrant groups.
Performance
View AllVisual Art
This category showcases a diverse group of traditional and self-taught artists working in visual mediums. Some of the artists featured here include muralists, sculptors, painters, hand-lettered sign makers and more.
Visual Art
View AllArchitecture
This section documents how the state’s residents adorn public and private spaces to create a sense of place in their neighborhoods. Vernacular architecture, art environments, and yardscapes are highlighted here.
Architecture
View AllFoodways
Traditions surrounding food are plentiful in the state. From pan dulce to Delta tamales, there are many different ways that Mississippians continue the culinary heritage of their families and local communities.
Foodways
View AllFolklife
This category features festivals, annual events, rituals, celebrations, customs and other traditions that are practiced and passed on by communities to celebrate their identity, their history and their culture.
Folklife
View AllAppalachian Foothills
Old-time musicians, dulcimer makers & quilters of this region have much in common with cultural communities of the upland southern states. Folklife of the Foothills also include gospel groups, visual artists, & celebrations honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Appalachian Foothills
View AllBlack Prairie
The Black Prairie is home to noted blues musicians, Chester "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett & Bukka White. Shape note singing, gospel, bluegrass & country music are other important music traditions here. Crafts, such as instrument making & basket weaving also thrive in the region.
Black Prairie
View AllDelta
The Delta region hosts many influential blues & gospel musicians, where these music genres are a strong component of community life. The Delta also fosters the creativity of visual artists from sign painters & muralists to the creators of art environments & yardscapes.
Delta
View AllGulf Coast
The Gulf Coast's diverse population has made it home to a wide range of traditions. Mardi Gras & Tet (Lunar New Year) are celebrated in communities of the region, & each spring, the coast's fishermen & boats are blessed during the Blessing of the Fleet.
Gulf Coast
View AllPiney Woods
Due to the abundance of wood, the region is known for its craftspersons, including woodcarvers, walking stick makers, & woodturners. Music also flourishes here, with active blues and gospel musicians, Afro-Cuban percussionists, Celtic musicians, & bluegrass players.
Piney Woods
View AllRed Clay Hills
The region is home to members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who are well known for their basketmaking & social dance traditions. The Red Clay Hills also foster a variety of artists & musicians including sitar players, pysanky makers, Tejano guitarists, & bottle cap artists.