Folk and traditional arts encompass all traditional artists and communities, from rural cowboys, farm folk and American Indians living on reservation lands to the many cultural, occupational and ethnic groups living in Utah. Focus is centered on perpetuating artistic traditions and skills and maintaining unique cultural identities. Traditional arts include crafts, music, dance and stories passed down through families and communities or within tribal, ethnic or occupational groups. These artistic skills, which reflect the values of earlier generations, are a vital component of community culture, heritage and identity.
The Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts is the only museum in the country dedicated to displaying a state-owned collection of contemporary folk art. It features objects made by living Utah artists from the state’s American Indian, rural, occupational and ethnic communities, offering a snapshot of Utah’s contemporary cultural heritage. The Chase Home was built more than 150 years ago in a traditional hall-and-parlor style from adobe bricks.
Utah's Folk Arts Collection was established in 1976. This collection of works made by Utah artists includes not only paintings and sculpture, but also handmade rugs, woodcarving, needlework and baskets. It contains more than 350 pieces of folk art ranging from handcrafted saddles and American Indian beadwork to a variety of traditional crafts from the state’s Asian, Latino and Polynesian communities. Certain objects are also featured in both traveling and temporary exhibits.
Living Traditions Festival
This festival, produced in partnership with the Salt Lake Arts Council, is a free event held every May featuring performances of folk and traditional music and dance, crafts demonstrations, a workshop stage, hands-on crafts for children, cooking demonstrations, a crafts market and ethnic food booths.
Mondays in the Park Concert Series
On Monday evenings every July and August, free concerts of folk music and ethnic dance are presented in front of the Chase Home Museum. Started in 1987, these concerts feature performances from the various cultural communities living in Utah. Composed of Utah artists, these dance troupes, bands, singers and poets showcase their native, ethnic and occupational heritage.
Folk Masters at the State Fair
On the first Saturday of the Utah State Fair, some of Utah’s finest traditional craftspeople are showcased, exhibiting the quality and authenticity of their work. Master artists demonstrate alongside their apprentices, presenting saddlemaking, American Indian crafts, rugmaking, woodcarving and a variety of ethnic art forms. The day ends with evening performances of traditional and folk musicians and dancers recognized for their art.
Grants to support folk and traditional arts are available on an annual basis to support teaching in both one-on-one and group settings. Project grants assist individual artists and cultural communities in developing, perpetuating or presenting their own traditional art forms. To download guidelines and online application instructions, please click on the name of each grant.
Over the past 30 years, thousands of photographs and recordings documenting Utah’s traditional art, artists and community-based events have been accessioned into the State Folklife Archives. In an effort to share these materials with the public, we periodically produce educational publications and recordings highlighting the most interesting traditions and best Utah folk art. Revenues support production of additional booklets and CDs.
Check back in the coming months to access out-of-print publications and folk art lesson plans.