Our guiding philosophy

AFFA works through education to promote folk art and an appreciation of the cultures that create it.

Our funds are designated for:
* routine programs like those listed on the Calendar page.
* grants and donations, like those listed below, that support folk art in the larger community. With board approval, grants of up to $500 for an individual and $1,000 for an organization may be made. A brief, standardized grant application form is available from board members.
* visionary funds for unusual and significant undertakings, like bringing well-known artists or experts to Austin, sponsoring seminars, partnering with other organizations to underwrite special exhibits, or giving institutions items that would become permanent additions to the preservation of a culture.

AFFA Funds at Work in 2009

Curtis Craven, $1,000 toward completion of the documentary, “Vanilla: the Sacred Orchid.” For centuries, the orchid that produces the vanilla bean grew wild in the jungle of Veracruz and was an integral part of the indigenous Totonaco culture.  This 30-minute documentary, to be distributed via PBS, traces the history of vanilla in Mexico and follows the orchid's 9-month lifecycle, from hand-pollination to the harvest and drying of the vanilla beans.

Lisa Orr & Troy Lanier, $500 for their documentary about the pottery of Ocumicho, Michoacán. To complete the second film in their series about the pottery techniques of Michoacán, Lisa and Troy needed photographs of the ceramic works of Marcelino Vicente Mulato, photos held in INAH Museos del Arte Popular in several Mexican cities.  AFFA's grant funded a trip to find the photos, gather documentation needed for other films in progress, and search for photos of the artist himself in the Mexican photo archive of Pachuca.

Feria Maestros del Arte, $1,000 to help develop new markets to keep Mexican folk arts alive. For the 3rd year, AFFA helped transport artists to the annual 3-day Feria of indigenous and folk art, held in Chapala.  The non-profit Feria is organized by an army of volunteers who know that these arts will disappear if artists cannot find outlets to sell their work. Feria provides selected artists with room and board, help with transportation, a place to sell their work, and effective marketing—and charges no fees or commissions.  For many of the artisans, sales at the Feria are their main source of income.

Mexic-Arte Museum, $1,000 to support the exhibition, Imagining Mexico:  Expressions in Popular Culture.  As part of the 2010 Bicentennial Celebration of Mexico’s Independence and the Centennial of its Revolution, Mexic-Arte Museum is presenting an exhibition drawn from popular-art collections in Central Texas.  The exhibit, which opened January 29, 2010, showcases art that incorporates symbols and images tied to Mexico’s national identity.

Mobile Art Program, $500 for the Durwood Senior Center courtyard enhancement.  The Mobile Art Program takes art materials into local nursing homes and senior activity centers to foster self-awareness, develop social skills, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem.  The Program provided seniors at Durwood Senior Center with materials and guidance to make mosaics, collaborate on a mural and paint benches, all incorporating imagery that reflects their mix of cultures.  Seniors originally from Pakistan, Nigeria, Ecuador, Mexico and other Latin American countries turned a barren spot into a pleasant gathering place and a source of pride.

AFFA Funds at Work in 2008

AFFA Funds at Work in 2007

Shield, Story & Song in the Lakota Tradition: A shield-making workshop for children ages 8 - 12, with mixed-media artist, Tim White Face. Fifteen Scouts and Webelos from Troop 345 in Round Rock and some of their siblings spent an afternoon with Native American artist and sun dancer, Tim White Face, and they made shields to prove it.  "Shield, Story and Song in the Lakota Tradition" was an educational outreach event for youth sponsored by Austin Friends of Folk Art on Saturday, September 15, 2007, at The WorkShop in downtown Austin.  For a full report of the event, please see the Past Events page. Read more about this event on the Round Rock Leader website.

Lisa Orr, Austin potter and ceramics instructor, $500 for a film documenting the centuries-old ceramics processes used by potters in Patamban, Michoacan, Mexico, and in the neighboring hamlet of San Juan de Gracia which produces the famous pineapple pots. The film, which will be ready by December 2007, will include interviews and narration about the history and techniques, and will show in detail the forming, firing and finishing processes. It will be filmed by professional film maker Troy Lanier, author of Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts, and disseminated through media outlets specializing in ceramics books and films. For more about Lisa Orr: www.lisaorr.com

Feria Maestros del Arte, $1,000 for artist transportation. This completely non-profit, 3-day market, organized by an army of volunteers, brings Master folk artists, as well as up-and-coming artists who work in Mexican traditional arts, from other parts of Mexico to Ajijic, Jalisco. The Feria's central goal is to provide a stable market for traditional arts and artisans so that they will not have to abandon their heritage to work in the cities. Artists are invited to participate based on the merit of their work as well as their ability to continue making it. Art that has been in the same family for generations is of particular interest to the Feria. For many artists, the Feria is their first contact with the outside world. Artists are housed with local families in Ajijic and fed two meals a day; they are not charged any fees or percentage of sales. AFFA's donation is earmarked specifically for transporting artists to the Feria. For more info about the Feria and the artists represented: www.mexicoetc.com

Artes de México, $1,200. AFFA is one of several folk art groups in the U.S. supporting the publication of a special bilingual edition of Artes de Mexico about the glazed pottery of Tlaquepaque created between 1920 and 1945. Artes de Mexico has a long-standing reputation as a publisher of high-quality magazines and art books about Mexican cultures. www.artesdemexico.com

AFFA Funds at Work in 2006

In 2006 AFFA disbursed $800 to event speakers, $375 to musicians, and $7,200 in donations and grants to:

Art in Public Places East 7th St. Obelisco Project, $3,500 to be divided equally among seven local artists chosen by the City to create artwork panels of durable materials-tile, glass, stone or metal-to be placed on obeliscos on East 7th Street. Located on seven corners between Chicon and Pleasant Valley streets, the obeliscos are 10' four-sided tapered columns intended to provide directional signs, enliven the streetscape and provide visual continuity along the corridor. Our grant supplements Austin's $4,600 budget for step one of its larger project to improve the safety and appearance of the gateway from the airport to downtown. www.ci.austin.tx.us/aipp/

Art of the Pot Show and Sale, $1,000 to defray expenses for this event which brought ceramic artists from around the nation to Austin. www.artofthepot.com

Design Works Studios, $200 for refreshments for "Approaching Equinox: A 7 Wy'mn Show," hosted by new AFFA member, Nailah Sankofa, who is also one of the artists chosen by the City for the East 7th St. Obelisco Project.

Mexic-Arte Museum Artist in Residency Program, $1,000 to support the Artist in Residency Program for El Dia de Los Muertos Celebration. Master papier maché artist David Linares worked for two weeks with 12 enthusiastic students at Fulmore Middle School, who learned about papier maché and about this traditional Mexican celebration while making small pop-up coffins. He also conducted public calavera-making workshops in which over 100 people participated at the Museum. These skeletons and the children with their coffins added a lively and authentic dimension to the Day of the Dead Procession. www.mexic-artemuseum.org

State Theater/Paramount, $200 for flood damage recovery. www.austintheatre.org

San Antonio River Foundation, $1,000 toward the installation of a 120-tile San Jose mural, as part of a major project to create 13 miles of public parkland along the San Antonio River. The handcrafted mural, purchased and donated by board member Susan Toomey Frost, features colorful scenes of Mexican village life. It will be installed very near the site where it was made in the 1930s-in Ethel Harris' first workshop, Mexican Arts and Crafts. A nearby historical marker will tell about the important work the WPA did in the workshop which once stood there. www.sanantonioriverfoundation.org

University of Texas Benson Latin American Library, $200 in appreciation for the special private invitation to the George O. Jackson photography exhibit. The library has a wealth of information on folk art but no longer receives money from the state to make purchases. www.lib.utexas.edu/benson/

Weavers & Spinners Society of Austin, $100 in memory of Sage McKenzie, AFFA member who designed and maintained our first website. The Weavers & Spinners Society was dear to her heart. www.wssaustin.org

The Witte Museum, $100 in memory of Marjorie and Francis Lindy Burgess, parents of AFFA board member Susan Frost. The couple donated much of their collection to the museum. www.wittemuseum.org

AFFA Funds at Work in 2005

In 2005 AFFA disbursed $1,013 in honorariums to program presenters, $900 to musicians for the holiday and membership parties, and $1,600 in donations and grants to the following:

Jean Graham, artist of record, $1,000 for the "Wall of Welcome" mosaic mural project to help fund installation of the mural which combines tiles made by Crestview neighbors with others made by Jean that tell the history of the neighborhood. The mural will cover a block-long wall between Woodrow Ave. and the Crestview Shopping Center. www.austin360.com/arts

San Antonio River Foundation, $500 toward the installation of a 120-tile San Jose mural, as part of a major project to convert 13 miles of overgrown private land along the San Antonio River into public parkland.

The hand-crafted mural featuring colorful scenes of Mexican village life will, in fact, be going home. Rescued seven years ago from a Maverick family home that was being demolished, the mural will be installed very near the site where it was made in the 1930s-in Ethel Harris' first work-shop, Mexican Arts and Crafts.

Susan Toomey Frost, who purchased and donated the mural, says, "This is the perfect home for this mural! It will be where the public can enjoy it, and a historical marker nearby will tell about the important work that the WPA did in the workshop that once stood there."

Hospice Austin, $100 in memory of Clara Noordenbos Hartung, mother of board member Terry Tannert. A non-profit organization, Hospice Austin provides family-centered end of life care. Every summer its Camp Brave Heart gives children who have experienced the death of a loved one a chance to explore their loss through creative activities.

AFFA funds at work in 2004

In addition to $500 given in honorariums to program presenters and $850 paid to musicians for the holiday and membership parties, AFFA gave $1,700 in donations and grants in 2004 to support folk art indoors, outdoors, and in the ivory tower.

San Antonio Museum of Art, $100 to advance its mission which is "to educate by collecting, presenting, and preserving the significant artistic achievements of the world's cultures from ancient times to the present, and through aesthetic and educational experiences, to develop a deeper understanding of human cultures, values, and traditions for visitors of all ages.

While most AFFA trips to the museum have centered on Latin American art, the permanent collection also includes Oceanic, Asian, Near Eastern and Islamic art, as well as ancient art, 18th and 19th century American art, European art and modern and contemporary art. www.samuseum.org

San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio's oldest church, $250 to help pay for restoration to seven statues damaged by a vandal in January 2004. Six of the seven statues were about 100 years old and some had just been restored. Anne Zanikos, who did that restoration, said the prognosis is good for all the damaged pieces. "I'm only worried about St. Francis, because his face is so completely crushed," she said. www.sfcathedral.org

Morning Star Rising, a youth empowerment program housed at Fulmore Middle School, $250 to defray costs of the "Uppity Women Film Festival," a benefit featuring four films about strong women, including Brazil's first black female senator and an Iowa housewife who discovers her Guatemalan history and her political voice. Morning Star Rising helps ease girls' transition from adolescence into adulthood through a four-phase program that spans 8th and 9th grades. In phase one, participants study community history, cultural traditions, folklore, folk art and family roots. In phase two, they explore personal power and discover areas of interest and individual talent. Phase three focuses on setting attainable goals and on self-determination, and in phase four, participants design and implement a community service project, thus gaining insight into the rewards of contributing to a society of which they form an integral part. www.morningstarrising.org

Hospice Austin, $100 in memory of Emma Rini, mother of board member Merry Wheaton. Hospice Austin provides family-centered quality end of life care that emphasizes compassion, independence, respect and dignity. At Camp Brave Heart, its recreational summer camp for children ages 6 through 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one, campers have an opportunity to explore their loss through a variety of creative activities.

Jean Graham, artist of record, for the "Wall of Welcome" mosaic mural project, $500 to help cover the cost of materials. The mural-a neighborhood project-will cover a block-long wall between Woodrow Avenue and the Crestview Shopping Center. With Jean's guidance, Crestview neighbors have worked together to create individual tiles which will be combined with others that tell the history of the neighborhood. In appreciation for AFFA's support, the mural will include an AFFA tile created by board members Nancy Townsend and Merry Wheaton. "Various groups of neighbors met three times to create their tiles, which are really charming. This is truly a community-building project," says Nancy. In April Jean, who works for the City of Austin as program coordinator of Art in Public Places, gave AFFA members a presentation about this project and a tour of a similar project already completed in a garden setting at Brentwood Elementary School.

Benson Latin American Library Endowment Fund, $500 after Michael Hironymous, who is in charge of the library's Rare Books and Manuscripts Room, gave AFFA members a tour of maps which King Phillip II of Spain ordered be drawn in an effort to gain information about the New world's population, political jurisdictions, languages, physical terrain and vegetation. These rare maps, produced by European and Indian hands are diverse and fascinating. The Benson Latin American Library, holds one-half of all such extant maps. The library also has a wealth of information on folk art, but is no longer receiving money from the state to make purchases.