In 2019, LiKEN collaborated with Mid-Atlantic Arts on a 113-county survey of folk and traditional arts in Central Appalachia. The survey, directed by Folklorist and LiKENeer Mary Hufford, documented folk and traditional arts throughout Central Appalachia along with the webs of support that could be strengthened through a regional program. Findings from the nine-month study and survey, conducted by a team of fieldworkers representing the fields of folklore and oral history, are published in a final report, along with recommendations for a regional program, Central Appalachian Living Traditions (CALT).  In addition to the final report and recommendations, the survey yielded a rich documentary archive of community and place-based artistic practices found throughout the region in a time of post-industrial transition.  Profiles for each of 113 counties in Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia highlight the role that folk and traditional arts are playing in revitalizing places as communities celebrate their histories and envision their futures.  

From left to right: CAFTA fieldworker Crystal Good (right) interviewing Angelo Fioravante of the Huntington CVB about the CVB’s highlighting of local community artists and performers. Photo by Mary Hufford, August 8, 2019; Mural in McArthur, Vinton County, OH. Photo by Nicole Musgrave, July 27, 2019.