The Michigan Traditional Arts Program announces honorees in an annual program celebrating cultural heritage in Michigan: the 2021 Michigan Heritage Awards.
The Michigan Heritage Award (MHA) is the state’s highest distinction to honor individuals who continue their family, community, or cultural traditions with excellence and devotion. The awards were given out following a thorough review by an independent panel of three folklife, community arts, and cultural scholars and educators.
“The Michigan Heritage Awards are presented each year to honor master tradition bearers in Michigan who continue the folk traditions of their families and communities through practice and teaching,” explains Marsha MacDowell, Director of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.
Receiving a 2021 Michigan Heritage award for their traditional arts achievements are:
Anny Hubbard of Sault Ste. Marie (Chippewa County), for birch bark cut out work
Dr. Deborah Smith Pollard of Detroit (Wayne County) for community leadership in African American gospel music radio, concert promotion, and education
“The attention and honor extended to these artists through the Michigan Heritage Awards are important not only to them but to all of us who cherish the state’s cultural heritage,” explains MacDowell. MHA Coordinator Micah Ling notes, “We seek nominations from around the state so that the awards continue to reflect the great diversity of skills, ethnicities, lived experiences, and cultural backgrounds of Michiganders. It is a true delight each year to learn more about our home and its people.” A virtual celebration will be held later in the summer via the Zoom platform, details to follow, and in-person celebrations will be announced at a later date.
The Michigan Traditional Arts Program is a statewide program “to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan.” MTAP is headquartered at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and is supported by MATRIX: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences and MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement and the Michigan State University Museum.