HISTORY
In 1978, The Center for the Study of North Country Folklife was founded by Varick Chittenden, a folklorist and professor in the Humanities Department at SUNY Canton. In 1986 this Center was dissolved and a non-profit was formed, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York—TAUNY— and Varick served as the first Executive Director. Early TAUNY programs were based on results of surveys completed by The Center for the Study of North Country Folklife, and aimed to focus on showcasing the living traditions and folk culture of our region.
Early Programs
In the beginning, the organization showcased local artists, traditional music, storytelling, and community events. Over time, TAUNY expanded with exhibits, educational programs, and events like the Pea Soup & Johnnycake lunch and Sugar & Spice Gingerbread Contest. [read more=”Read more…” less=”Read less…”] Highlights include the 2000 New York State Governor’s Arts Award and a nationally recognized cookbook amongst other recognized publications, programs and exhibits. [/read]
Founding of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York
TAUNY (Traditional Arts in Upstate New York) was founded in 1986 by folklorist Varick A. Chittenden to preserve and promote the folk culture and traditions of the North Country. [read more=”Read more…” less=”Read less…”]
Varick states about the history and founding of the institution: “For at least a dozen years before TAUNY’s creation as an organization in 1986, I had been working on folk culture projects in the North Country. After finishing an MA in American Folk Culture from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in 1976, I returned to the Humanities Department at SUNY Canton to resume teaching English courses. My experience in Cooperstown had been life changing for me. With some of the best teachers in the field and the Farmers’ Museum and Fenimore House Museum as convenient laboratories for us graduate students, everyone’s eyes were opened to new ways of looking at the simpler things of everyday life.
My own ancestors had been some of the pioneering settlers of several St. Lawrence County towns. I grew up with wonderful stories told at my dad’s general store, simple old songs and dances taught by my mother to young kids in local schools, and quilts and old family recipes from both my grandmothers. My friends were children of farmers and woodsmen and factory workers. As I learned later in life, many of these things we did would be called “folklore,” but everyone I knew took them for granted—that was just how things were done.Locally, I pursued my own interests—folk art, vernacular architecture, oral traditions—and made projects of them when time from teaching allowed.
I worked with several organizations in the region with gallery spaces to produce folk art exhibits, gave talks to service clubs and professional groups, and wrote articles for publication. I became involved in a statewide effort in the early 1980s to create a separate program at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support folk and traditional arts and artists in the state. When that became a reality in 1985, I was fortunate to be asked to join some colleagues around the state to develop guidelines for the new program.
Once the Folk Arts Program was established and qualified organizations were eligible for public funds to support their work, Robert Baron, the first program director (and still there today) encouraged me to think about creating an organization to serve the North Country. It would not only fill an important cultural niche but would be eligible for grants from foundations and public agencies and charitable giving by supporters of its work. After careful thought and great help from a small group of friends who agreed to become the first board of directors, TAUNY was born.”
The first Board of Directors included: Dr. Laurie Rush (Clayton, NY) as president, Stanley Ransom (Plattsburgh, NY), Allan Newell (Hammond, NY), Judy Chittenden (Canton, NY), Vaughn Ward (Rexford, NY), and Peter van Lent (Canton, NY). One of the individuals identified in these surveys is Eli F. Tracy (Hermon, NY) a blacksmith and recipient of a North Country Heritage Award (now entitled the North Country Living Traditions Awards) in 2008. [/read]
Executive Director Jill Breit (Retired)
Jill joined TAUNY in 1993, just before the organization opened its first public gallery in Canton. A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Jill earned her M.A. in Folk Studies at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. [read more=”Read more…” less=”Read less…”] As Executive Director, in addition to oversight of programming, Jill was in charge of long-range planning, cultivation of funding sources, and staff development. She also continues to be involved in research and programs. Her work as a researcher and folklorist brought enumerable succesful projects and programs to the organzation, along with a local, regional, and national reputation for the effectiveness of the institution and work in folk traditional research and programming. After 30 years of dedicated and successful leadership, Ms. Breit retired in 2023. She continues to support TAUNY by working with Varick Chittenden on the archives, organizing and classifying a sizable set of documents, audio, video & print materials, and artifacts. This work will translate into a more accessible and well defined history of TAUNY research and programs for the staff and public [/read]
Evergreen Award
In 1997 The TAUNY Board of Directors established the Evergreen Award to recognize exceptional interest in and support of traditional culture, arts, and artists in the North Country. [read more=”Read more…” less=”Read less…”] The name for this award is taken from TAUNY’s logo – a stylized fir tree from a 19th century stoneware jug made in the North Country, since the work of those being honored by the award also suggests the nurturing of old customs or traditions that could easily be abandoned or forgotten if those who have inherited them lose sight of their worth or usefulness. The first Evergreen Award recipient is The Niagara Mohawk Foundation.
The Evergreen Award was transitioned into the North Country Heritage Awards and finally the name settled on the North Country Living Traditions Awards, a celebration of folk artists and artisans & impactful traditional places in the North Country. There is a permanent exhibit featuring the history of award winners at The TAUNY Center, and after a hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, the program is scheduled to be reactivated in 2025. [/read]
HISTORY of The tauny center
Traditional Arts in Upstate New York bought its current building on 53 Main St. in 2008. In 2019, the organization did a major overhaul of its kitchen, bringing in commercial appliances with the support of architect Rebecca Weld from Renew Architecture in Potsdam. [read more=”Read more…” less=”Read less…”] The organization has completed two recent capital projects, the first of which was a full replacement of the roof by construction firm Titan Roofing which was completed in 2023. The main floor contains the Folkstore, main exhibit space, kitchen, and bathrooms. The second floor has a supplementary exhibit space, boardroom, and administrative offices. The basement has an audio studio, storage, and archives rooms and there is a full elevator which services all three floors. [/read]