Join Texas Folklife on May 23 in Austin for a gathering of community scholars and a preview of the Folklorist Next Door’s next season.

The 2026 Community Folklife Fellowship cohort will present their projects exploring folk and traditional arts throughout Texas. Each fellow has been working over the past five months with local culture bearers in their community to document traditions, including music, dance, healing rituals, plant knowledge, and storytelling.

Fellows will join us from Austin, Houston, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley, and West Texas. They each bring a unique perspective shaped through the Community Folklife Fellowship program, where they received mentorship, training workshops, and project support.

Each fellow will share a short presentation on their work, including an exclusive preview of their podcast episode for The Folklorist Next Door.

This event is free and open to the public.

This project is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment.