Scope and Content
The Nevada Folklife Archive spans the years 1980 to 2017. The collection consists of field work conducted by folklorists employed by the Nevada Arts Council Folklife Program to document diverse communities and traditions across the state of Nevada.
Tasked with documenting various aspects of life and culture in Nevada, folklorists employed by the Nevada Arts Council Folklife Program collected the extensive sound recordings, photographs, transcripts, and field notes retained in this collection. The collection includes documentation of occupational folklife, including ranching, mining, railroad work, nuclear plants, and the entertainment industry; expressive traditions, including fiddling contests, cowboy poetry, leatherwork, glassblowing, basketry, quilting, music, and dance; and examples of vernacular architecture on ranches. Interviews and documentation highlight African American, Mormon, Paiute, Shoshone, Basque, Latinx, Japanese American, Thai American, South Asian American, Scottish American, and Italian American communities and traditions across Nevada. A large portion of the collection also documents programs and events sponsored by the Nevada Arts Council Folklife Program, including the Las Vegas Folklife Festival, the Sierra Folklife Festival, and the Folk Arts Apprenticeship. In addition to field work documentation, the collection includes correspondence relating to the administration of the Folklife Program, publications from the Folklife Program, and program files relating to the production of the Las Vegas Folklife Festival and the Sierra Folklife Festival.