Our Vision
Strengthening our communities through arts & culture
Our Mission
Northwest Folklife creates opportunities for all to celebrate, share, and participate in the evolving cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest.
Core Values
Northwest Folklife believes the arts revitalize people and communities and is dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage and its continued growth and development.
Northwest Folklife understands that everyone is a bearer of folk arts and that it is as important to participate in the arts as it is to observe them.
Northwest Folklife encourages communities to share their cultural arts, believing that interaction with new audiences enriches the community as much as the audience. When people share aspects of their culture, opportunities are created to dissolve misunderstandings, break down stereotypes and increase respect for one another.
Northwest Folklife relies on the diverse communities of the Pacific Northwest to inspire programs and collaborates with these communities to develop public presentations of their culture.
Northwest Folklife is a 501(c)(3) heritage organization that celebrates the diverse tapestry of arts, cultures, and traditions emanating from a global Pacific Northwest. Since 1971, NW Folklife's work has been rooted in the shared humanity of connection and creative expression and is driven by intergenerational, intercultural experiences. Our staff collaborates with more than 100 Community Coordinators—including respected artists, educators, tradition bearers, and cultural leaders throughout the region— to envision, sow, and nurture collective opportunities, including the 53-year-old Northwest Folklife Festival, our Annual Cultural Focus (2024 -"Meraki"), the Cultural & Creative Workforce Development Program, Youth Engagement through Arts and Heritage (Y.E.A.H) program, and Our Big Neighborhood partnerships. Our programming continues to expand and evolve, reclaiming "folk" as the vibrant, wise, and present future that resides in all of us.
