Mode of Program Participation
Community Organizing and Educational Programming
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Not Heritage…Creating a Regional Folk and Traditional Art Center in the Anthracite Coal Fields of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Like many parts of the United States, the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains became home to immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, particularly between 1870 and 1914. These newcomers brought rich ethnic heritages, shaped both by formal institutions, like churches and fraternal organizations, and less structured family customs of artwork, music, dress, and cuisine. Holding on to some old ways helped immigrants feel at home in their new locations, and allowed them to express their own identity. As immigration slowed after World War I and immigrants became better integrated into the broader American society, folk traditions and ethnic institutions usually became less pervasive. In the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania, though, the mining industry collapsed. Many people moved away in search of opportunities. More importantly, with few replacement industries, new arrivals were rare. The people who persisted in anthracite mining communities continued to organize their lives around ethnic institutions and rituals long after they had disappeared elsewhere in American society. When folklorists Michael and Carrie Kline visited the southern anthracite field, they said they had never seen so many diverse folk customs in such a small area. It is only recently that the younger generation is falling completely away from traditional practices. This presentation will examine how the people of one part of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian coal fields organized in an effort to get state recognition and funding for a local art center to become an accredited Regional Folk and Traditional Art Center, how they are using the center to preserve and support folk traditions, and most importantly, how they are trying to pass on important cultural and artistic traditions to the next generation. It is hopeful we can serve as a model for others to follow.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Nicole Andel teaches an array of Humanities and Composition courses at Penn State Schuylkill campus; she is interested in the cultural and ethnic diversity in Schuylkill County as it pertains to the folk drama in the area.
Dr. Harold Aurand, Jr. teaches History and American Studies at Penn State Schuylkill campus; he is interested in popular culture and Pennsylvania History.
Not Heritage…Creating a Regional Folk and Traditional Art Center in the Anthracite Coal Fields of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains
Like many parts of the United States, the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains became home to immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, particularly between 1870 and 1914. These newcomers brought rich ethnic heritages, shaped both by formal institutions, like churches and fraternal organizations, and less structured family customs of artwork, music, dress, and cuisine. Holding on to some old ways helped immigrants feel at home in their new locations, and allowed them to express their own identity. As immigration slowed after World War I and immigrants became better integrated into the broader American society, folk traditions and ethnic institutions usually became less pervasive. In the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania, though, the mining industry collapsed. Many people moved away in search of opportunities. More importantly, with few replacement industries, new arrivals were rare. The people who persisted in anthracite mining communities continued to organize their lives around ethnic institutions and rituals long after they had disappeared elsewhere in American society. When folklorists Michael and Carrie Kline visited the southern anthracite field, they said they had never seen so many diverse folk customs in such a small area. It is only recently that the younger generation is falling completely away from traditional practices. This presentation will examine how the people of one part of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian coal fields organized in an effort to get state recognition and funding for a local art center to become an accredited Regional Folk and Traditional Art Center, how they are using the center to preserve and support folk traditions, and most importantly, how they are trying to pass on important cultural and artistic traditions to the next generation. It is hopeful we can serve as a model for others to follow.
