Nick Mastras and Mike Raysses play traditional Greek bouzoukis.
TARPON SPRINGS – The city of Tarpon Springs was recently awarded $20,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk & Traditional Arts Program to document and present the traditional culture of the Greek community of Tarpon Springs.
The grant period is from June 2009 to May 2010.
Tina Bucuvalas, curator and folklorist, will assess previous research and then conduct 25 days of new fieldwork to fill gaps in ethnographic documentation. She will combine old and new research to curate a small exhibit examining the overall history and traditional culture of the community, with additional sections focusing on musical expressions and maritime traditions. The project will include the design, fabrication and installation of a 500-square-foot exhibit with six interpretive panels, four cases, six graphic panels and an interactive multimedia kiosk with music, interviews, and video.
Over the next few years, additional exhibit sections will be created and new public programs will be offered that will emphasize other aspects of Greek culture such as iconography, needlework, foodways, ritual, divination traditions, oral traditions, celebrations and occupational folklife.
The series of presentations and workshops tentatively scheduled for January through May 2010 will include The Music of the Dodecanese Islands, Greek Regional and Popular Music, Greek Boats, Model Sponge Boats workshop, Sponge Industry Traditions and a Bouzouki Workshop.
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