For over a decade UMBC has worked in partnership with Maryland Traditions in preserving and documenting Maryland’s intangible heritage. Maryland Traditions is the folklife program of the Maryland State Arts Council. Since 1974, state-employed folklorists have worked to identify, document, support, and present Maryland folklife through grants, awards, festivals, and other programming.
Part of this work has involved the production of short films highlighting heritage award winners from Maryland Traditions. This website showcases many of these films, produced by Bill Shewbridge and the New Media Studio since 2012.
The Ola Belle Reed Project
This site is currently highlighting the Ola Belle Reed project. In 2023, UMBC launched a major project celebrating the life and legacy of this legendary Maryland musician. The project includes:
- an exhibit at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, Ola Belle Reed: I’ve Endured
- a new 45 minute documentary film, “I’ve Endured”: The music and legacy of Ola Belle Reed
- a film gallery featuring short documentaries, performances and extended interviews collected during the production of “I’ve Endured.“
- “I’ve Endured”: A concert honoring the music and legacy of Ola Belle Reed a live event on June 2, 2023 at the UMBC Linehan Concert Hall
Maryland Folklife Network
Since 2021, UMBC has been a part of the Maryland Folklife Network, a group of regional Folklife Centers to support activities that identify, document, support, or present the living cultural traditions of Maryland’s diverse communities. Regional Folklife Centers are defined as continuing programmatic or educational efforts made by an organization to support traditional arts, or community-based living cultural traditions handed down by example or word of mouth.
This site is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org)