October 2022 marks Louisiana’s eighth annual Folklife Month, a celebration of the state’s living traditions and the individuals who sustain them. Selected by local folklorists and other culture workers, six tradition bearers will be honored during events throughout the month. The recipients share a record of continuing and exceptional accomplishment in perpetuating the state’s traditional cultures.
Folklife Month showcases diverse persons and groups from across the state, and often from overlooked cultural communities. The month-long program also increases appreciation for the vital role folklorists play in sustaining Louisiana’s folkways.
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser emphasized the importance of the initiative saying, “Folklife Month is a time for us to celebrate our traditions and honor our culture. Each of our traditions trace back to our ancestors, and without that, we would not have the identity we have today.”
The following tradition bearers are the 2022 Folklife Month honorees - Mary Alice Vanderwaters, Chef Andrew Miller, Alton Armstrong, Lonnie "Butch" Cooksey, Jr., Nelson Harris, and Rhonda Remedies Gauthier.
A project of the Louisiana Folklife Commission in collaboration with the Louisiana Folklore Society and numerous community partners, Louisiana Folklife Month is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, visit LouisianaFolklife.org.
For pictures and expanded biographies of each tradition bearer, please visit the Folklife Month webpage.