Secretary Detzner Seeks Nominations for Florida Folk Heritage Awards

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner today announced that the Florida Department of State is seeking nominations for the 2017 Florida Folk Heritage Awards. The annual awards recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to Florida’s traditional culture.

“Florida Folk Heritage Awards celebrate the accomplishments of Florida’s traditional artists and folklife advocates who promote and preserve valuable community traditions and folk arts,” said Secretary Detzner. “By recognizing these individuals, we honor their contributions and support their efforts to safeguard Florida’s traditional culture.”

The 2016 Florida Folk Heritage Award recipients were (l-r) Serge Toussaint (photo courtesy of HistoryMiami Museum), Ed Long, Louinès and Lucrèce Louinis, and Paco and Celia Fonta (photo courtesy of Zizi Zabaneh).

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 groups. Nominees should be individuals whose art or advocacy has embodied the best of traditional culture in their communities.

How to Submit a Nomination

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. Support materials such as photographs, slides, audio and video samples, and letters will assist the state’s Florida Folklife Council in evaluating nominees. Each nomination also 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.

Nominations must be postmarked no later than October 1, 2016, and mailed to: Florida Folklife Program, Division of Historical Resources, R.A. Gray Building – 4th Floor, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250. Nominations can also be emailed to: folklife@dos.myflorida.com. For more information about the Florida Folk Heritage Awards, or the Florida Folklife Program, contact State Folklorist Amanda Hardeman at 850.245.6427. For guidelines, award policies, and previous winners, visit www.flheritage.com/preservation/florida-folklife-program/folk-heritage-awards/.

2016 Awardees

The 2016 Florida Folk Heritage Awards honored two partners and two individuals who have made significant contributions to Florida’s folk cultural heritage. The awardees included Haitian folk art and performance advocates Lucrèce and Louinès Louinis of Broward County; Spanish flamenco music and dance advocates Paco and Celia Fonta of Miami-Dade County; Maritime culture and history advocate Ed Long of St. Johns County; and Haitian sign painter and muralist Serge Toussaint of Miami-Dade County.

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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, this program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. The Florida Folklife Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program. For more information about Florida folklife, visit www.flheritage.com/preservation/florida-folklife-program/.