NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE Founded in 1933, the NCTA is the oldest folk arts organization in the nation. The NCTA is dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the United States. NCTA’s dynamic programs celebrate the richness of America’s living heritage. NCTA partners with communities to build sustainable cultural events that deliver lasting social, cultural and economic benefits. The acclaimed National Folk Festival is the nation’s longest-running multicultural celebration of traditional arts. NCTA presents grassroots artists of the highest caliber in festivals, tours, exhibitions, media productions, and other activities. NCTA is committed to presenting those arts that collectively define us as a people, that represent continuity from the past to the present and into the future. The NCTA Collection has been called “one of the major cornerstones of 20th century American folk music documentation.” news National Council for the Traditional Arts Receives Multi-Year General Operating Support Grant from The Music Man Foundation FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2025 SILVER SPRING, MD – The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is thrilled to announce it is among seven organizations to receive the 2025 National Meredith Willson Award from … Read More » Help Us Celebrate Our Nation’s Artistic Excellence 2025 National Heritage Fellowship Artists Announced for Family Area & Street Performances at 82nd National Folk Festival, November 7-9, 2025 Six More Artists Announced for 82nd National Folk Festival, November 7-9, 2025 Features Help Us Celebrate Our Nation’s Artistic Excellence Dear Friends, As 2025 comes to an end, we are reflecting on a year that began with uncertainty for many arts organizations but culminated with several major successes, particularly the launch of the National Folk Festival’s … Read More » Features 2025 National Heritage Fellowship On Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 5:30 pm ET, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will honor the 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellows, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, … Read More » Sights & Sounds Martin, Bogan & Armstrong at the 36th National Folk Festival, 1974 Founded over 90 years ago, the National Folk Festival was first presented in 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri, and is the nation’s longest-running multicultural celebration of traditional arts and culture. In honor of this milestone, we … Read More » Sights & Sounds NCTA Radio: “Gospel Ship” NCTA Radio streams a series of thematic programs that feature music from the NCTA Collection. “Gospel Ship” is one of these programs, which were produced over a 10-year period by Mark Yacovone for WDUQ-FM, and narrated … Read More »