Museum of Contemporary Rural American Life
Documents the Experiences of Small-Town America
BEHOLD! New Lebanon, the new living museum that introduces visitors to contemporary rural American life, has named Caitlin Coad to the position of folklorist and program director. In her position, a new one for the organization, Coad will work with more than 50 Rural Guides to capture and document their personal histories and other aspects of small-town living in Columbia County.
[private]During the summer of 2015, BEHOLD! New Lebanon’s Rural Guides invite visitors into their work spaces: the farms, barns, artisan workshops, commercial kitchens and businesses where they perform the activities which make them successful rural residents. Among others, their specialties include cooking, farming, raising cattle, foraging, automobile racing and mechanics, toy-making, training farm dogs, and much more. The guides are not costumed docents recalling old-world skills, they are actual townspeople sharing their passions and their skills.
“Stories are a powerful learning tool. I believe we benefit from getting to know each other’s stories more deeply and recognizing the artistry abundant in our surroundings,” said Coad. “Folklorists see art in the creativity of everyday life, so when you strive for quality in the land you farm, the food you cook, or the way you dress, that’s art. It’s my goal as a folklorist to document these skills and this traditional knowledge that largely go unrecorded, but are so essential to our identity and understanding of each other.”
Coad’s appointment was made possible in part by support from the American Folklore Society’s Consultancy and Professional Development Program. “We’re pleased to support this important effort,” said Dr. Tim Lloyd, Executive Director of the Society. “BEHOLD! New Lebanon is breaking new ground in the interpretation of rural life and culture, and the involvement of a folklorist of Ms. Coad’s caliber will ensure that BEHOLD’s community and audience will be best served by this exciting effort.”
The museum was founded by historian and social activist Ruth J. Abram, who conceptualized and organized Manhattan’s Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which honors America’s immigrants. A resident of New Lebanon, Abram brought the idea of a contemporary “museum without walls” to regional residents and town planners who responded enthusiastically with ideas and an outpouring of support.
The result is BEHOLD! New Lebanon, which opened in 2014 and will begin its 13-week 2015 run on Independence Day weekend.
“Folklorists play a critical role in perpetuating the important aspects of rural life that might otherwise escape the attention of historians, scholars, and the general public,” said Abram. “Caitlin brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to BEHOLD! New Lebanon. Her work will raise the visibility of the interesting and intriguing ways rural residents have combined old arts with modern sensibility to live in contemporary small-town America. We are delighted to have her on board.”
Coad’s responsibilities include documenting people’s stories and skills through audio interviews and photography. Then, she will create opportunities for people to connect with these stories and learn from this local knowledge, through the BEHOLD! New Lebanon web site and the 2015 summer programs.
As a folklorist, Coad has worked for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the American Folklore Society Task Force on Historic Preservation Policy, and as the coordinator of a countywide oral history project in Kentucky. As a public programs specialist, she has worked in the production of concerts, heritage festivals, neighborhood tours, play-readings, family festivals, film series, and educational workshops, ranging from small community-organized gatherings to 20,000-seat venues.
“I hope the resulting collection will inspire a greater appreciation of the value of people’s work in New Lebanon and other small rural communities and spark an interest in continuing to document, value and celebrate this work,” she said.
More information can be found at www.beholdnewlebanon.org. [/private]