Traditional Artists

New Hampshire is home to many traditional artists who enjoy the crafts, music, stories, and dances that have been shared within their communities for generations.

Sherry Gould demonstrating the
start of a miniature Abenaki
brown ash basket.

Some of these artists devote their lives to practicing their art form while others enjoy making music, going to dances, or working on a craft as a hobby in their spare time. Traditional Artists are often endearingly called tradition bearers as they carry the wisdom and skills of an art form that has been molded and shaped by many generations before them. Tradition bearers carry forward what has been handed down as beautiful and culturally significant into our contemporary lives and communities.

The NH Council on the Arts maintains a juried Traditional Artist and Folklife Listing that highlights many living artists and community scholars who share their tradition through demonstrations, concerts, performances, lectures, and in educational settings. Artists and cultural specialists on this listing have been juried based upon their artistry and ability to communicate with audiences and students.

• Traditional Arts & Folklife Listing – learn more about some of New Hampshire's traditional Artists.
• Tips for Traditional Artists on Photographing your Work 
• Writing an Artist Statement 

Lezlie Webster &
Marielle Webster
sharing Scottish
pipe music and
highland dance.