McKissick's Folklife Resource Center was created in 1985 as a repository for fieldnotes, photographs, slides, audio tapes, video tapes, albums, publications, and other information of value to Southern folklife scholars and the general public. Since then, the Museum has conducted several major studies of the region's folklife with assistance from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the South Carolina Humanities Council. The traditions documented include sweetgrass and split oak basketry; bluegrass and gospel music; quilt making; alkaline-glazed, Catawba, and Jugtown pottery; African-American celebrations; net-making; and iron-working.

The FRC is also a repository for materials generated by independent researchers, and maintains vertical files on South Carolina folk artists, as well as on folk arts related organizations in and outside the state. All of the materials housed in the Folklife Resource Center are available for research and for educational purposes.

For reproduction and rental costs of materials in the Folklife Resource Center, please see our fee schedule. The center is open to the public by appointment. For additional information or research appointments, please contact Saddler Taylor, Chief Curator of Folklife and Fieldwork, at 803-777-7251.

Selected Projects, Exhibitions, and Publications

African-American Celebrations in South Carolina, 1863-1960
In 1993, McKissick Museum mounted an exhibit accompanied by a catalog entitled Jubilation! African-American Celebrations in the Southeast that explored the origin, scope, and meanings of African-American celebratory events staged in the southeastern United States between emancipation and the Civil Rights movement.

Considerable Grace Traditional Music Series
Initially funded by The Humanities CouncilSC in 2003, the FRC continues to produce audio recordings featuring the rich folk music of South Carolina. Past volumes include the music of the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards and African-American musical traditions. The project is largely student-driven, with most of the planning, design, and research development undertaken by undergraduate interns.

Crossroads of Clay: The Southern Alkaline-Glazed Tradition
In 1983, McKissick Museum initiated a study of the development and diffusion of the southern alkaline-glazed stoneware pottery tradition. These research materials constitute the largest consolidated collection of information on southern ceramics in the United States. Based on this research, the Museum mounted an exhibit with a catalog entitled Crossroads of Clay and published the seminal book Great & Noble Jar: Traditional Stoneware of South Carolina.

The Dave Project
A project involving in-depth research of approximately 160 pots attributed to Dave, an enslaved African-American potter from South Carolina. A traveling exhibit and catalog "I made this jar..." The Life and Works of the Enslaved African-American Potter, Dave were developed from the original research. An ongoing project, a revised and updated catalog is being produced with a late 2011 release date.

Digital Traditions Web Initiative
In 2003, McKissick Museum was awarded a major federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This grant served as the catalyst in a multi-year project designed to accomplish two major goals: 1) transfer and digitize the materials held in the Folklife Resource Center and 2) develop a comprehensive website that would provide access to these digital materials. Through a partnership with South Carolina Educational Television, the website was launched in late 2006. Digital Traditions contains hundreds of images, video and audio clips, and information on over two hundred different folk artists. A "living" project, new information is added to the site on a monthly basis.

Folklife Documentary Video Program
Since 1998, McKissick has worked closely with independent filmmakers like Woodward Studio, Ltd. to produce a variety of documentaries. Several projects have focused on traditional foodways throughout the region. Recent work includes The Sheep Stew of Dundas: A Gastronomical Delight (2001), Carolina Hash: A Taste of South Carolina (2001), and Burgoo! The Mythical Stew of Kentucky (2007). In addition, several years of fieldwork resulted in the exhibit Southern Stews and companion film Southern Stews: A Taste of the South (2002).

Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards
The South Carolina Folk Heritage Award was created by the South Carolina Legislature in 1986 to recognize lifetime achievement in folk art. In 1997 the name was changed to the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award in memory of Harris' long-time support of South Carolina's cultural heritage. Program is co-administered with the South Carolina Arts Commission and the awards are presented annually by the General Assembly.

Jugtown Pottery
Working with the Folklife Section of the North Carolina Arts Council, McKissick studied the impact of the Jugtown Pottery on traditional pottery in Moore County, North Carolina. From this research emerged the exhibit and catalog New Ways for Old Jugs: Traditions and Innovations of the Jugtown Pottery.

Quilt History Project
From 1983 through 1986, McKissick documented approximately 2,765 quilts. This research led to the publication of Social Fabric: South Carolina's Traditional Quilts (1985) and Glorified Patchwork: South Carolina Crazy Quilts (1989).

Quilts Like My Mama Did
As a follow-up to the Quilt History Project, the Folklife Resource Center produced both a video and a slide/audiotape program featuring African-American quilters from the Pawley's Island area.

Row Upon Row: Sea Grass Baskets of the South Carolina Lowcountry
Archival research and extensive fieldwork with contemporary basketmakers resulted in an exhibit and publication that serves as the definitive history of the sweetgrass basket tradition in South Carolina. The Center maintains the documentary materials associated with the project.

Rural Arts Initiative
The Rural Arts Initiative was supported by the South Carolina Arts Commission and focused on the development of cultural awareness in rural communities. Interviews were conducted in Charleston, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties with a focus on the coastal village of McClellanville.

Rural Humanities Project
Through a collaboration with the Humanities CouncilSC, the folklife traditions of Oconee, Anderson, Pickens, Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, Colleton, Jasper, Chesterfield, and Marlboro Counties were surveyed between 1987 and 1990. Collection includes extensive field notes, audio, color and black and white photography.

Stout Hearts: Traditional Oak Basket Makers of the South Carolina Upcountry
A traveling exhibit and catalog, the Stout Hearts project investigated the traditional and contemporary practices of split-oak basketmakers in the South Carolina Piedmont. These strong, light, and versatile baskets have been a part of South Carolina folk culture for over 300 years.