Maryland Traditions

Mentor artist Catherine Wooten (left; Howard County) and apprentice artist Suzanne Coley (right; Baltimore County) sew quilt squares in a 2021-22 Folklife Apprenticeship in sharecropper-style quilting. Maryland Traditions Maryland Traditions, the state's traditional arts presents traditional arts. Activities include grants to organizations and individuals, festivals and other events, direct outreach to artists, and archival activities to support community-based living cultural traditions handed down by example or word of mouth. Maryland Traditions Archives The  Maryland Traditions Archives  (MTA) is a community center full of thousands of stories featuring folk and traditional artists across Maryland. Housed at the University of Maryland Baltimore County with MSAC oversight, it holds a treasure trove: oral histories, audio and video recordings, historic and contemporary photographs, papers and manuscripts, textiles and clothing, many objects, and original artworks documenting Maryland’s community-based living cultural traditions. Opportunities Folklife Apprenticeship Folklife Apprenticeships support traditional arts education by funding a mentor artist and apprentice artist to work together for one year. Read more. Folklife Network Folklife Network grants fund organizations serving as regional folklife centers in Maryland. Read more. Heritage Awards Heritage Awards, distributed annually, recognize long-term achievement in the traditional arts. Read more.