The MSU Museum serves as a public steward for historical and cultural objects and archival materials (sound, video, paper records) collected by MTAP documenting traditional culture of Michigan and the Great Lakes region. These collections are used for research, education, and exhibition projects.
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The repository of objects and materials documenting the traditional culture of Michigan houses archival and fieldwork research completed by staff, students, contracted consultants, artist collaborators, and donations from individuals. The MTAP Folklife Research Collections include 3,000 objects, over 4,000 audio tapes of interview and musical performances, 85,000 photographic images, 3,000 fieldwork reports, and vertical files of reference materials on a variety of folklife subjects. The records of the former Great Lakes Folk Festival and its predecessor, the Festival of Michigan Folklife, are also included in these collections.
Special attention is also given to collecting materials from annual Michigan Heritage Awardees and the Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The Michigan Traditional Arts Program staff strives to include community representatives in the planning process of projects or programs that result in the development of collections.
