Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee Seeks Nominations for Florida Folk Heritage Awards

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee today announced the Florida Department of State is seeking nominations for the 2020 Florida Folk Heritage Awards. The annual awards recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to Florida’s traditional culture.

“The Florida Folk Heritage Awards seek to recognize and celebrate our state’s distinguished tradition bearers and advocates of traditional arts,” said Secretary Lee. “Individuals are nominated each year by members of their community who wish to recognize their contributions.”

Folklife includes a wide range of creative forms such as art, crafts, dance, language, music and ritual. These cultural traditions are transmitted by word of mouth and demonstration, and are shared within community, ethnic, occupational, religious and regional folk groups. Nominees should be individuals whose art or advocacy has embodied the best of traditional culture in their communities.

Nominations should describe the accomplishments and background of the nominee and explain why he or she deserves statewide recognition for preserving a significant facet of the state’s cultural heritage. Supporting materials such as photographs, slides, audio-visual samples and letters will assist the state’s Florida Folklife Council in evaluating nominees. Each nomination requires at least two letters of support from community members, colleagues, peers, cultural specialists or any other individuals who can confirm the details of the nomination and attest to the nominee's qualifications. Award recipients will be announced in January 2020.  

Nominations must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2019 and mailed to:

Florida Folklife Program, Division of Historical Resources, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250. Nominations can also be emailed to [email protected].

For more information about the Florida Folk Heritage Awards or the Florida Folklife Program, contact State Folklorist Amanda Griffis at 850.245.6427.

For guidelines, award policies and previous winners, visit www.flheritage.com/preservation/florida-folklife-program/folk-heritage-awards/.

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About the Florida Folklife Program                                                                                                 The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State's Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, the program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. For more information, visit flheritage.com/folklife.

2019 Awardees                                                                                                                                   The 2019 Florida Folk Heritage Awards honored four individuals who have made significant contributions to Florida’s folk cultural heritage. The awardees include former chairman of Seminole Tribe of Florida James Billie of Glades County, former Florida Folklorist Tina Bucuvalas of Pinellas County, Irish fiddler and educator Jane Wells Scott of Leon County, and Minorcan cast net maker Michael Usina of St. Johns County.