Funded by South Arts’ In These Mountains initiative, this annual grant program funds one-on-one learning relationships between master traditional artists and their apprentices in Western NC, helping preserve and pass down music, craft, foodways, occupational practices, and other forms of folklife.
As the North Carolina state partner to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, NCFI helps communities recognize and celebrate meaningful local stories through permanent roadside markers. These markers highlight folktales, myths, and local legends, keeping them alive for future generations and placing them in public view.
NCFI selectively serves as a fiscal sponsor to aligned folklife projects, enabling community-based initiatives to access charitable funding and administrative infrastructure. This service allows traditional artists, scholars, and cultural organizers to pursue grants and implement work that advances our shared mission.
For over 50 years, NCFI has supported fieldwork and documentation projects across North Carolina. Much of this work, ranging from oral histories and music recordings to photographs and ethnographic notes, is housed at the State Archives of North Carolina. NCFI is currently working to improve public access to these materials and ensure that the cultural knowledge of tradition-bearers is preserved and honored.
