NEA National Heritage Fellows

In-depth profiles of NEA National Heritage Fellows from 1982 to the present. Materials for 1982-2007 biographies courtesy of Documentary Arts. Use of some photographs courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives & Collections.

Man with cap playing flute.
2010

Mike Rafferty

Irish flute player
Man holding drum.
2010

Ezequiel Torres

Afro-Cuban drummer and drum-builder
Five men wearing red shirts on stage singing.
2009

The Birmingham Sunlights

"A cappella" Gospel group
Man holding a cuatro.
2009

Edwin Colón Zayas

Cuatro Player
Man posing in dance stance.
2009

Chitresh Das

Kathak Dancer and Choreographer
Man smiling, holding a basket.
2009

LeRoy Graber

Willow Basketmaker
Woman on stage playing an accordion.
2009

"Queen" Ida Guillory

Zydeco Musician
Man playing a fiddle outdoors.
2009

Dudley Laufman

Dance Caller and Musician
Portrait of woman in white dress.
2009

Amma D. McKen

Yoruba Orisha Singer
Man in cowboy hat reading a book.
2009

Joel Nelson

Cowboy Poet
Woman on beach holding wool.
2009

Teri Rofkar

Tlingit Weaver and Basketmaker
Man sitting in wood chair surrounded by string instruments.
2009

Mike Seeger

Musician, Cultural Scholar, and Advocate
Portrait of woman.
2009

Sophiline Cheam Shapiro

Cambodian Classical Dancer and Choreographer
Native man wearing a white headdress in profile
2008

Horace P. Axtell

Nez Perce drum maker, singer, tradition-bearer
Hispanic man wearing glasses with short hair in profile.
2008

Walter Murray Chiesa

Traditional arts specialist and advocate