Sweet Home Folklife Days

The Setting

The mission of the Washington State Arts Commission’s (WSAC) Folk Arts Program – to develop ways to recognize and preserve the state’s cultural heritage – was the basis for an unlikely partnership and a new cultural heritage audiotour. WSAC began by working with a folklorist who uncovered a surprising diversity of cultures in the state’s rural areas. It was then time to decide how to share these traditions with visitors.

What Happened Next

The decision was made to develop a guidebook and audiotape that included songs, crafts, narratives and music and presents the information through the words of local residents. WSAC’s action steps included:

• Hiring a folklorist to conduct and record interviews with local residents and to collect photographs.
• Partnering with the Washington State Department of Transportation. WSDOT provided a grant to develop the first heritage tour.
• WSDOT also developed maps for the guidebook.
• Conducting field tests by driving the route using the audiotape and guidebook.
• Developing three more driving tours upon successful completion of the first route.

Results

• Copies of the audiotour and guidebook were placed in Washington ’s public libraries.
• The tour sets are sold through bookstores, museum gift shops and on the Internet.
• WSDOT’s study of one of the tours concluded that 30 percent of tour purchasers traveled the route specifically to use the tour guide.
• New partnerships were formed between the state arts commission and state department of transportation.
• WSAC has provided assistance for similar projects across the country including ones in Utah , Kentucky and Maryland .

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