Knoxville, TN — The Tennessee Folklore Society will hold its Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 24, 2015, at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn. The meeting is open and free of charge to all interested parties as well as Society members. The meeting will include presentations on the folklife of Tennessee and surrounding states as well as an opportunity to tour the cultural exhibits at the Center.

The Tennessee Folklore Society is a statewide organization of professional folklorists, arts presenters, community scholars and others who share an interest in preserving, studying, sustaining and celebrating the rich folk arts and cultural traditions of the mid-South. Founded in 1934, the Society publishes the Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin, the nation’s oldest regional folklore journal and acts as a conduit for state and federal grants devoted to special projects celebrating Tennessee’s folk traditions. Additionally, the society periodically issues audio recordings significant to Tennessee’s rich musical heritage and advocates for preservation of the state’s distinct folkways.

The Society’s annual meeting is a time for members and prospective members to gather, present papers on folklore subjects, and exchange ideas. Meetings are held alternately in East, Middle, and West Tennessee. The site of the 2015 meeting, West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, offers a number of cultural exhibits, displays and programs that compliment the Society’s mission including: the West Tennessee Cotton and Music Museums; the Hatchie River Museum; the Felsenthal Lincoln Collection; Flagg Grove School; and the restored home of legendary bluesman, Sleepy John Estes. Brownsville is also notable as the site of the spectacular Mind Field installation by Haywood County folk artist Billy Tripp.

Tennessee’s traditional culture is changing rapidly. The Chinese Erhu player and Mexican crochet artist are now as much a part of the cultural traditions of our state as the blues musician and white oak basket maker. The Tennessee Folklore Society is working to keep abreast of the ever-evolving landscape of “Tennessee folklore.” Operations of the Society are managed by Jubilee Community Arts in Knoxville, Tennessee.

More information about the Tennessee Folklore Society can be found on the Society’s website: www.tennesseefolklore.org. Learn more about the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center at: www.westtnheritage.com