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By 1942, as cultural historian Wayne Hampton writes, "the war had turned everything upside down"(Guerilla Minstrels, 1986, 115). Then a member of the Almanac Singers, Woody wrote the following words to a song titled "New Situation"[NB-1: #3, page72]:
So then I joined the Union, folks,
I learned of work and wages, too, Somehow always
optimistic, even when facing war or great personal tragedy, Woody
Guthrie understood that survival required people working together.
Perhaps this message is needed now more than ever, and from what
I observe daily at the archives, they often come to us to "get
it." The Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives is committed to getting Woody's words and ideas heard; in short, to perpetuate a legacy of social conscience and involvement. To do so requires that we strenghten our organization, of which, you, the public, are an intrinsic part. To that end, we have started working with the Folk Alliance, as recipients of an NEA funded program, to help us create a development strategy that will ensure that our work continues. However, in these difficult times, when the arts are under siege and budget cuts are being diverted toward a wartime economy, we need to stay in touch, support each other, and as Woody always did, take a stand against fascism. Jorge Arévalo The exhibition
of artwork by Philip Buehler, "Wardy Forty: The Reverberations
of Ruins" has been a great success. The Woody Guthrie Archives
collaborated on the curation of this multimedia installation, helping
to interpret and pull the story together. The artwork is a Woody Guthrie was honored in February 2003 at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a jamming celebration at that! The concert, Nashville Sings Woody! was a hit with artists such as Guy Clark, Marty Stuart, Arlo Guthrie, Nancy Griffith, and others playing Woody's classics and diverse talents such as Janis Ian, Rob Wasserman, DJ Logic, Blackfire a Diné punk band from Arizona, Ellis Paul, and Wenzel a popular musician from Germany all singing Woody¹s unpublished lyrics to music they wrote. Listening to Woody's words sung to diverse genres of music proves that Woody's perspective speaks across populations, generations and to music lovers of all kinds. To complement this honor, the Woody Guthrie Archives curated three exhibitions which were displayed throughout "Music Town, U.S.A." Upon returning to the archives in March, two of the exhibits will be made available to select venues for further exhibition: * Bound for Glory: Woody Guthrie's Self-Illustrated Life Story. This exhibit includes twenty of the fifty nine illustrations that Woody Guthrie created for his autobiography, Bound for Glory (1943). The illustrations reveal Guthrie's expressive visual artistry. * The Faces of Woody Guthrie: Photographs from the Archives, is comprised of fifteen rare photographs of Woody Guthrie, dated from 1939-1954, from the Collection. Interested organizations should contact the Archives for more information. Recent Researchers
and Visitors to the Archives Steve Brower of Print magazine continues his work on a book of artwork by Woody Guthrie. This will be the first book to focus on Woody Guthrie as a visual artist. Peter Frumkin spent some days here exploring archival material for a documentary about Woody Guthrie. Stephen Gammond and Associates traveled all the way from the United Kingdom, filming material and interviewing Woody's friends and family for a biographical documentary. Jim Pollard paid a visit to the Archives exploring the work Woody did when he had Huntington's Disease. Jim works with Huntington's Disease patients and was interested in Woody's thoughts during this time in his life. Working with Jim gave us added perspective on this material and helped us to further realize the significance of Woody's writings from that time period. Jeff Morgan was in New York from Stanford University in California doing research for his doctoral dissertation. Jeff is studying how Woody's political ideology and songwriting may have been shaped by his experiences in California. Ed Shannon, a literature professor at Ramapo College is researching American authors who may have had an influence on Woody Guthrie. Visiting
the Archives Internship
Opportunities We are presently interested in individuals with experience developing databases for archives or museums. Other areas of interest include web design skills to create an interactive web page for children. Grant researchers and writers are also encouraged to apply. Other tasks might include assisting with research, answering general reference calls, providing administrative support, and helping out with various archives projects. Ideal candidates will have a background in archival or library science, museum studies, music history, or related area. An interest in, and special knowledge of, Woody Guthrie and folk music is a definite plus, as are A/V skills. Applications
and inquiries should be sent to: |