Material Culture

Doug Bathke carving a sign for the Hall of Honors at North Tonawanda High School, in North Tonawanda, New York: a city with a long history and association with lumber.

Amidst COVID-19, many arts practices, including performances, workshops, lessons, and discussions, have moved online. This is a resource for artists and consultants who wish to livestream practices. It also calls to attention the process of tradition and traditional arts as practices move from in-person to digital spaces.  

Porfiria Mijangos explains the elements of a traditional ofrenda for Day of the Dead in her region of Oaxaca, Mexico. Interview and footage are from the Day of the Dead celebration at Orleans YMCA, Medina, New York, November 1 2019. Members of her extended family built the large ofrenda seen here for the annual community-wide event.

This notion that “all Jains are Gujaratis” is overshadowing the true representation of who Jains are and the religion Jainism. As part of Brooklyn Arts Council's Citizen Folklife initiative, Smrita Jain does fieldwork in order clear up this misconception.