July 2002: Folklore Project receives Bartol award

From Bartol Foundation press release:
Stocton Rush Bartol Foundation Selects Philadelphia Folklore Project to Receive 2002 George Bartol Arts Education Award Artistic Excellence and Commitment to Community Recognized Philadelphia Folklore Project brings culturally diverse folk arts to low-income schools and communities

Philadelphia, PA-The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation announced today that it has selected the Philadelphia Folklore Project as the 2002 recipient of the George Bartol Arts Education Award. The George Bartol Arts Education Award was established in 2001 to recognize outstanding arts education programs by a non-profit cultural organization. Each year, a grant of $5,000 will be made in memory of George Bartol, founder of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, who believed that the key to a thriving arts community was an investment in arts education for its children. This award is made possible by a gift from the founder’s wife, Mary Bartol. In honoring Mr. Bartol, the award is given to an organization that provides sustained, meaningful exposure and participation in the arts; that demonstrates an active engagement in the lives of its students and community; and that maintains high artistic standards for its faculty and students. No applications will be accepted for this award. Instead, as part of its annual grant distribution process, the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation will designate one grantee to receive an additional award of $5,000. Funds are to be used to support its arts education programs.

“This award is made to the Philadelphia Folklore Project in recognition of its Folk Arts and Multicultural Education (FAME) Program,” said Beth Feldman Brandt, Executive Director of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. “The FAME Program links esteemed local folk artists with area schools and communities for long-term residencies. These residencies pass on cultural traditions to young people who may or may not share these traditions. By making art together, young people and folk artists explore different cultures in ways that are authentic and respectful, leading to deeper understanding.”
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Philadelphia Folklore Project supports, preserves and presents Philadelphia-area folk arts including the arts of people who have been here generations and those who have just arrived – from traditional Cambodian dance to African drumming to Italian palm weaving. The Philadelphia Folklore Project offers exhibitions, concerts, workshops and assistance to artists and communities. It conducts ongoing field research into local arts and maintains an archive of Philadelphia’s folklife traditions. Through its publications, videos, and educational programs, the Folklore Project works to deepen the public understanding of local traditional arts

“This award honors artists who are deeply committed to preserving and sustaining cultural traditions to which they feel a keen sense of responsibility,” commented Debora Kodish, Director of the Philadelphia Folklore Project. ”“Keeping these artists teaching, and making these arts accessible to young people in city neighborhoods are important strategies for helping the next generation hold on to, and understand, some of the hard-won histories and experiences of their parents and their neighbors. This grant will allow us to keep making it possible for some of the city’s most significant and little-known folk and traditional artists to work with neighborhood kids.”

As the only local Foundation devoted solely to supporting local arts organizations, the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation seeks to foster an environment where arts and culture can flourish. Created in 1984, the Foundation provides financial and technical support to non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Philadelphia. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation works to ensure a vibrant cultural life for all of its citizens through programs that use art as a catalyst for meaningful communication and connections, strengthening the social fabric of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.