Guides to the Collections in the Archive of Folk Culture







                  THE CHICAGO ETHNIC ARTS PROJECT COLLECTION

                                 AFC 1981/004






                              Library of Congress
                           American Folklife Center

                                 January 1995

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                              Library of Congress
                           American Folklife Center


                  THE CHICAGO ETHNIC ARTS PROJECT COLLECTION 
                                 AFC 1981/004


                                    SUMMARY

The Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection consists of audio
recordings, photographs, manuscript materials, publications,
ephemera, and accompanying documentation related to the 1977
Chicago Ethnic Arts Project field survey. At the request of the
Illinois Arts Council, the American Folklife Center assessed and
documented the status of ethnic art traditions in more than
twenty ethnic communities in Chicago.  Fourteen professional
folklorists conducted the fieldwork, interviewing artists,
talking with community leaders, and documenting the arts through
still photographs and audiotape recordings.

The final project report presented to the Illinois Arts Council
summarized the current conditions and folk arts needs in these
communities. Materials from post-project activities such as
workshops in the ethnic communities and a traveling photographic
exhibit are included in the collection.


ACCESS AND REPRODUCTION:  Listening and viewing access to the
collection is unrestricted. Duplication of the recorded materials
may be governed by copyright and other restrictions.
 

KEY SUBJECTS: Communities activities; dance--performance, social,
and folk; foodways; music--instrumental and vocal; religious
celebrations; textile arts; and wood carving. Ethnic groups:
African-American, Austrian, Chinese, Croatian, Cuban, Czech,
Danish, Finnish, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish,
Korean, Latino, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Native American,
Norwegian, Polish, Puerto Rican, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian,
Swedish, and Ukranian. 

LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS:  Calabrese, Italian, Korean, Lithuanian,
Neopolitan, Polish, Slovenian, Spanish, Ukranian 


Physical Description:         Location Numbers:
----------------------------------------------------------------

Manuscripts
226 folders

AUDIO RECORDINGS
 
99 reeks 7" at 7.5 ips,       AFS 20,524-20,867 
mono, DT stereo               (reels and cassettes); 
                              RYA 0601-0845 
                              (cassettes); 

245 audiocassettes,           RXA 1004-1098, 
mono and stereo               1353-1356 (reels) 
344 audiocassettes            AFS 20,524-20,867 
                              (Listening copies)

GRAPHIC MATERIALS

275 b&w negative rolls (9,900 images)
275 b&w contact sheets
187 b&w photoprints
118 matted b&w photoprints
118 reference slides of photoprints (2 sets)
251 holders, color transparencies (approx. 3,800 images)
13 holders, reference fiches


MOVING IMAGES

2 videocassettes 3/4" 
sound, color                  AFC1981/004:V1-V2
                              (Original copies)



_________________________________________________________________

                            SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE


The Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection contains the
audiorecordings, photographs, publications, ephemera, and
accompanying manuscript materials associated with the 1977 survey
of ethnic artistic expression in Chicago conducted by the
American Folklife Center.  The Center undertook the project on
behalf of the Illinois Arts Council, following a directive from
the Illinois legislature to increase programming for ethnic arts.
The purpose of the survey was to assess living ethnic art
traditions in a contemporary urban American setting. This was
accomplished by examining factors such as history, transmission,
social structures, and individual artists' lives. The final
project report, which summarized the status of existing ethnic
arts and provided recommendations for future support, was
submitted to the Illinois Arts Council for use in program
planning.

The project occurred between February and November 1977 and
involved three phases: initial planning and background research,
fieldwork in Chicago, and analysis and preparation of the final
report. It was organized by Center director Alan Jabbour and
staff members Elena Bradunas and Carl Fleischhauer. Research
assistants Carol Armbruster and Peter Bartis prepared background
material. Greta Swenson coordinated the fieldwork in Chicago;
Jonas Dovydenas served as photographer and media specialist.
Fieldworkers included fourteen professional folklorists and
cultural specialists. After the collection was arranged and
housed, Lucy Long prepared a detailed inventory.

The ethnic groups studied during the project were chosen
according to two criteria: representation in the 1970 census and
the availability of a professional cultural expert for that
group. Fieldworkers spent one to three weeks interviewing
community leaders and artists and documenting various arts and
activities. The fieldworkers compiled information on the
following ethnic groups: African-American, Austrian, Chinese,
Croatian, Cuban, Czech, Danish, Finnish, German, Greek, Irish,
Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Latino, Lithuanian,
Macedonian, Native American, Norwegian, Polish, Puerto Rican,
Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish, and Ukranian. Subjects best
represented in the collection include instrumental and vocal
music, performance, social and folk dance, textile arts,
foodways, religious celebrations, wood carving, and community
activities such as social club meetings and neighborhood
gatherings.

Two smaller projects resulted from the survey; materials from
both are included in the collection. The first project was a
series of concurrent weekend workshops held in November 1977 in
seven Chicago ethnic communities: Greek, Irish, Italian, Latino,
Lithuanian, South Slavic, and Ukrainian. Conducted by project
fieldworkers who surveyed those groups, the workshops focused on
community cultural preservation. The second project was an
exhibit of photographs taken by Jonas Dovydenas during the
fieldwork. "Inside Our Homes, Outside Our Windows" was mounted at
Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art in 1979 and at several other
venues in 1980.

The collection not only documents the lifespan of the project and
recommendations presented to the Illinois Arts Council, but also
records and preserves the life histories and folk arts of
specific urban ethnic communities in Chicago. The materials span
the years 1976 to 1981, with the largest portion concerning the
project in 1977. The collection is divided into four series by
format: manuscripts, sound recordings, graphic material, and
moving images. The inventory to the collection, photographic
logs, and sound recordings concordance (materials not included in
this register) provide detailed descriptions of the contents.


SERIES I: MANUSCRIPTS

The manuscript materials provide supporting documentation for the
entire project, including the follow-up workshops and the
photographic exhibit. Documents pertaining to the planning and
administration of these activities are found here. Publications
such as books, brochures, articles, maps, and so forth provide
background on Chicago and specific ethnic groups. Documentation
includes fieldnotes, daily journals, logs describing the content
of the photographs and sound recordings made during the
fieldwork, and related ephemera. This series also contains
summaries and reports on the project, including a final copy of
_A Report on the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project_. 

SERIES II: SOUND RECORDINGS

This series includes the 344 audiocassettes and reel-to-reel
tapes used to document the fieldwork undertaken. They provide a
record of interviews, music, and social events. The series also
includes selected recordings from the entire set. Logs that
identify the content of the recordings are found in Series I.

SERIES III: GRAPHIC IMAGES

More than 13,000 images document the fieldwork performed in
Chicago. They include black and white negative rolls, contact
sheets, and miscellaneous photoprints. Color transparencies and
reference fiches are also included. The series also contains
photographs taken during the workshops, as well as slides
documenting the installation of the photographic exhibit, the
matted photoprints themselves, and reference slides of the
photoprints. Logs describing the content of the field photographs
are found in Series I.

SERIES VI: MOVING IMAGES

This series contains two videocassettes related to the
photographic exhibit, "Inside Our Houses, Outside Our Windows." 
One describes the exhibit and the other contains remarks by the
photographer, Jonas Dovydenas. Logs of these videotapes can be
found in Series I.

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                       GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SERIES (1)


                             SERIES I: MANUSCRIPTS


Location          Contents
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Folders A-C       Archive of Folk Culture administrative materials.
                  The collection register [this document], accession
                  log, original and copy of the collection
                  inventory.

ADMINISTRATION

Folders 1-9       Planning: Pre-project background materials;
                  project proposal; travel/media budgets; grant
                  agreement; planning correspondence; research
                  schedule; coordinator's appointment book;
                  miscellaneous.

Folders 10-29     Fieldworkers: Blank contracts; addresses and
                  schedules; contracts and resumes (arranged
                  alphabetically by fieldworker).

Folders 30-41     Actual project expenses: Ledger; bank statements;
                  expenditures; bills; honorariums; coordinator's
                  weekly reports and analyses.

Folders 42-46     Publicity and press releases: Press contacts;
                  correspondence; media coverage.

Folders 47-51     Correspondence: Coordinator's administrative
                  correspondence; between Center and fieldworkers;
                  between fieldworkers and contacts;
                  general/miscellaneous.

Folders 52-57     Project contacts: Lists of possible contacts;
                  address labels; certificate recipients; blank
                  certificates; Consulates in Chicago; Chicago
                  congressmen.

Folder 58         Post-project materials: Notes and documents from
                  the presentation by Alan Jabbour to the Illinois
                  Arts Council.


COLLECTED PUBLICATIONS AND EPHEMERA

Folders 59-67     General information about Chicago--resource
                  individuals and institutions.

Loose 
publications      General information about Chicago.

Folders 68-72     General information about Chicago--ephemera.

Folders 73-108    Information on specific ethnic groups: Materials
                  arranged alphabetically by ethnic group.


DOCUMENTATION

Folders 109-25    Fieldnotes: Original fieldnotes arranged
                  alphabetically by fieldworker.

Folders 169-71    Black and white logs: Logs describing black and
                  white images, arranged numerically by roll number
                  and alphabetically by ethnic group; fieldworkers'
                  notes for photo identification.

Folder 172        Color logs: Logs describing color images arranged
                  numerically by holder and alphabetically by ethnic
                  group.

Folders 173-92    Sound recordings--logs: Fieldworkers' sound
                  recording logs (arranged alphabetically);
                  reference and evaluative logs; selected
                  transcribed quotes; annotations for selected sound
                  recordings.

Folders 193-95    Sound recordings--other: Copy of concordance; tape
                  catalog; miscellaneous.



REPORTS AND PRODUCTS

Folders 
196-210           Fieldworkers' reports: Reports submitted by
                  fieldworkers (arranged alphabetically).

Folders 211-28    Edited manuscripts: Sections of edited report
                  manuscript arranged in final report order.

Folder 229        Final report: _A Report on the Chicago Ethnic Arts
                  Project_. Complete, bound report prepared by the
                  American Folklife Center, Library of Congress,
                  January 1978.

Folders 230-34    Other: Project progress report; assessment of
                  sound recordings; artists suitable for festival
                  appearances; report requests; photographic
                  presentation sets.


WORKSHOPS

Folders 235-46    Administrative materials: Proposals; grant
                  agreement; planning; publicity; invitations;
                  mailing lists; correspondence; schedule; handouts;
                  instructors' reports.

Folders 247-54    Participants, miscellaneous notes: Workshop
                  materials (arranged alphabetically by ethnic
                  group).


PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT

Folders 255-69    Photographic exhibit: Proposals; budgets;
                  arrangement; exhibit design; catalog; publicity;
                  reception; travel; correspondence; videocasette
                  logs.
  

                          SERIES II: SOUND RECORDINGS


Location          Contents
-----------------------------------------------------------------

AFS 20,524-       99 7" reels and 245 audiocassettes of original 
AFS 20,867        field recordings.  Arranged by ethnic group
                  /fieldworker. AFS 20,524-20,867; RYA 0601-0845;
                  RXA 1004-1098, 1353-1356. Listening copies are
                  available in the Folklife Reading Room. 





                          SERIES III: GRAPHIC IMAGES


Location          Contents
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Albums 1-3        275 rolls of black and white negatives arranged
                  numerically by roll number.

Folders 126-45    275 black and white contact sheets arranged
                  alphabetically by ethnic group.

Folders 146-68    275 black and white contact sheets (identical to
                  those in folders 126-145) arranged numerically by
                  roll number.

Boxes 15-17       187 miscellaneous 8 x 10 and 5 x 7 black and white
                  photoprints.

Map drawers       118 matted photoprints used in the exhibit.

Trays 1-248G      Color transparencies (approximately 3,800 images)
                  (holders)arranged alphabetically by ethnic
                  group. Also includes workshops, exhibit
                  installation, and exhibit reference
                  transparencies.

Trays 249-61      Reference copies of color transparencies. 


                           SERIES IV: MOVING IMAGES

Location          Contents
---------------------------------------------------------------

Box 18            One 3/4" sound, color unedited videotape of
                  remarks by Jonas Dovydenas on the Chicago Ethnic
                  Arts Project.  December 1980. AFC 1981/004:V1.

            
Box 18            One 3/4" sound, color videotape program used at
                  the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs
                  installation of the photo exhibit in Milwaukee,
                  Wisconsin.  January 1981. AFC 1981/004:V2.






(1) See collection inventory (Folder B) for complete descriptions
and concordances.

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                         ARTICLES ABOUT THE COLLECTION


American Folklife Center, "Chicago Project Highlights." _Folklife
Center News_ I, no. 2 (April 1978): 3, 8.

______________, "Chicago's Ethnic Communities and Their Artistic
Expression." _Folklife Center News_ I, no. 1 (January 1978): 6-7.

Boyer, Bruce Hatton. "Ethnic Folk Arts in Contemporary Chicago."
_Chicago History: The Magazine of the Chicago Historical Society_
X, no. 4 (Winter 1981-1982): 248-255.

"Chicago Ethnic Project to Study Traditions." _Library of
Congress Information Bulletin_, 36 no. 6. April 22, 1977: 1-2.

Melville, Annette, "Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection." In
_Special Collections in the Library of Congress_, 61. Washington,
D.C.: Library of Congress, 1980.



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                                  APPENDIX A

                     DANCE-RELATED CONTENT BY ETHNIC GROUP
                                       
                                     from

                 _A Report on the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project_
                                 January, 1978


Page numbers refer to _A Report on the Chicago Ethnic Arts
Project_.  Additional information may be found in the unedited
fieldworkers' reports, folders 196 to 210 (arranged
alphabetically by fieldworker).


AFRICAN-AMERICAN ("AFRO-AMERICAN") -- Ralph Metcalfe
p. 27 Darlene Blackburn -- traditional African dance


ASIAN -- Chungmoo Choi

Korean:

p. 70             YMCA folk dance group 
pp. 74-75         Mrs. SooHyang Hong (Lee) -- dancer
p. 75             Mrs. BongHee Stephens (Ma) -- dancer

Japanese:

pp. 81-82         Mrs. Hideyumi Fujino -- classic and folk dance

Philippino:

pp. 84-85         Philippine Week -- music and dance programs;
                  children's talent show

Indian:

p. 86             Mrs. R. Nanjappa -- teaches Indian folk dance


IRISH -- Mick Moloney

pp. 162-165       Step dancing: "high art tradition;" social
                  dancing; St. Patrick's Day
pp. 181-182       Denis & Margie Dennehy
pp. 182-184       Pat Roche
pp. 184-185       Peggy Roche Boyle


ITALIAN -- Elizabeth Mathias

p. 204            folk dancing
p. 208-209        Pompeo Stillo -- folk dance


LATINO -- Philip Brandt George 

Philippino:

pp. 286-287       Philippine Dance Arts Group directed by Julie
                  Borromeo

Guatemala:

p. 294            Mrs. Catalina Garcia -- Ballet Monja Blanca

Panama:

p. 295-297        Victor Magallon -- folk dancer



LITHUANIAN -- Elena Bradunas

p. 307            Saturday Schools -- folk dance ensembles for
                  children 10 folk dance groups, H.S. and college

pp. 308-309       Youth Center -- folk dances, dance groups
pp. 312-313       Lithuanian Folk Dance Festival


NATIVE AMERICAN -- Roberta Fiske

p. 341-342        Pow wow, November 1976 -- fancy dress dance
                  contest


POLISH -- Susan Kalcik

p. 355      Polish Women's Alliance of America -- dance classes
p. 356      Polish Highlanders -- perform dance music
p. 360      Konstanti Siemaczko -- teaches dancing


SCANDINAVIAN -- Jens Lund

Danish:

p. 385      Danish American Athletic Club -- folk dancing


SOUTH SLAVIC -- Richard March


p. 438            Tamburitza music and dance groups

pp. 445-446       Gordana Trbuhovic-Grasa -- Yugoslav music and
                  dance

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                                  APPENDIX B

                   DANCE-RELATED PHOTOGRAPHS BY ETHNIC GROUP


Researcher/
Photographer                  Description
-----------------------------------------------------------------

AFRICAN-AMERICAN 
("AFRO-AMERICAN")

Ralph Metcalfe/               Darlene Blackburn Dance Troupe 
Jonas Dovydenas               performing at the Museum of Science and
                              Industry


"                             Theresa's Lounge; social dancing

ASIAN

Chungmoo Choi/                Japanese folk dance instruction,
Jonas Dovydenas               Chicago Buddhist Temple; rehearsal for
                              performance
                  

"                             Mrs. BongHee (Ma) Stephens in Korean
                              dance costume with instruments

"                             Korean and Phillipino dancers performing
                              at Civic Center Plaza Ethnic Dance
                              Festival

"                             Indian Temple dance at Ethnic Dance
                              Festival; Korean dancers preparing, on
                              stage

Jonas Dovydenas               Polynesian (Hawaiian?) dancers at
                              Buddhist Temple street fair


GERMAN

Anthony Hellenberg/           Chicago Zither Club Concert dinner-
Jonas Dovydenas               dance, Golden Tiara Hall: folk dance by
                              the Donauschwaben Club

"                             German event at the D.A.N.K. Haus:
                              Transylvanian and German dance groups

IRISH

Mick Moloney/                 Denis & Margie Dennehy with their dance
Jonas Dovydenas               trophies
      
                  
"                             Pre-Fleadh Ceili at the Garden of Eden:
                              audience, musicians, dancers


JEWISH

Jonas Dovydenas               Wedding reception of Gail and Warren
                              Kasztel; social dancing; "making the
                              bride and groom happy" by dancing with
                              them


LATINO

Jonas Dovydenas               "Sweet Sixteen" party for Puerto Rican
                              girl; social dancing

Philip George/
Jonas Dovydenas               Dancers at El Romance Club


LITHUANIAN

Elena Bradunas/               Dancing at wedding reception of Emilija
Jonas Dovydenas               Pakstas and Romas Sakadolskis at Pakstas
                              Hall

"                             Knights of Columbus picnic; social
                              dancing


POLISH

Susan Kalcik/                 Picnic at Polonia Grove and Ballroom; 
Carl Fleischhauer             polka dancing
      

"                             _Dances of Poland_ by Stefan Zielinski;
                              cover of album "Dances of Poland,"
                              Polish All Stars


Susan Kalcik/                 Children performing in costume on
Jonas Dovydenas               graduation day, St. Vladislav's School


SOUTH SLAVIC

Richard March/                Dancing at (Serbian) wedding reception
Jonas Dovydenas               of Tom and Joyce Todorovic at the
                              Holiday Inn, Elk Grove

"                             Dancing at picnic, Yugoslav Benevolent
                              and Pleasure Club, to "The Continentals"

Richard March/                Openac Yugoslav Folklore Group at dinner
Carl Fleischhauer             celebration, Ferrara Manor banquet hall,
                              Continental Night Club (Croatian)

Jonas Dovydenas               Dancing at Europe at Night (nightclub
                              for displaced Yugoslavians)

"                             Dancing during St. Jerome's Annual
                              Parish Festival (Croatian)

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                                  APPENDIX C

                DANCE-RELATED SOUND RECORDINGS BY ETHNIC GROUP 


For more information, see the recordings concordance in the
inventory, pp. 49-77.  

An asterisk (*) indicates that parts of the interview are
transcribed and found in folder 191, "George's Transcribed
Quotes."

Logs of recordings are found in folders 173 to 192 (arranged
alphabetically by fieldworker).


AFS number        Subject(s) or event                 Topics covered
-----------------------------------------------------------------

AFRICAN AMERICAN ("AFRO-AMERICAN") -- Ralph Metcalfe

AFS 20,644        Darlene Blackburn, Asar Ha-pi       Dance troupe,
                                                      African dance in
                                                      Chicago

ASIAN -- Chungmoo Choi

AFS 20,735
AFS 20,739
AFS 20,740        Mrs. SooHyang Hong                  Korean dance
AFS 20,745        Mrs. Bong Hee Stephens              Korean dance
AFS 20,746
AFS 20,747        Tom & Hideyumi Fujino               Japanese folk dance

IRISH -- Mick Moloney

AFS 20,578
AFS 20,579        Noel Rice                           Competitions,
                                                      teaching, Chicago
                                                      dance scene

AFS 20,580*       Denis & Margie Dennehy              Bios, schools,
                                                      competitions, the
                                                      dance 
AFS 20,582*
AFS 20,583        Mary McDonagh &Terry Teahan         Dancing,
                                                      competitions,
                                                      schools

AFS 20,585*       Peggy Roche Boyle                   Bio, father,
                                                      competitions,
                                                      teaching, the dance

AFS 20,593*       Pat Roche                           Bio, dance history,
                                                      Chicago dance scene

ITALIAN -- Elizabeth Mathias

AFS 20,725
AFS 20,726        Pompeo Stillo                       Italian folk dance
                                                      and music

AFS 20,728        Pasquale Sottile                    Italian music and
                                                      dance

POLISH -- Susan Kalcik

AFS 20,788        Jeanette & Alvin Sajewski           Polka and other
                                                      dance music and
                                                      books

AFS 20,792        Collete & Kanstanti Siemaczko       Teaching dance as
                                                      part of the Saturday
                                                      School

AFS 20,794
AFS 20,795        St. Vladislav's Hall                Saturday School
                                                      Graduation
                                                      (see "photographs"
                                                      table)

AFS 20,800        Polonia Grove & Ballroom            Polka music (see 
                                                      "photographs"table)
                                                      

SCANDINAVIAN -- Jens Lund

AFS 20,597        Ray Nilsen                          Norwegian folk
                                                      dancing

SOUTH SLAVIC -- Richard March

AFS 20,699*
AFS 20,670*
AFS 20,701        Gordana Trbuhovich-Grasa            Bio, dancing group
                                                      history, dancing
                                                      groups in Chicago
                                                      (see "photographs"
                                                      table)