North House Folk School is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Challenge America award of $10,000. This grant will support Basket Week and the 2024 Winterers’ Gathering & Arctic Film Festival. In total, the NEA will award 257 Challenge America awards totaling $2,570,000 that were announced as part of its first round of fiscal year 2024 grants. 

“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to North House Folk School, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”  

“Welcoming the community to campus is one of the things that makes North House sing,” said Greg Wright, Executive Director. “We’re excited to partner with the NEA and to continue offering events that bring people together and that highlight the diverse stories and craft traditions found throughout the north.”

Basket Week is a weeklong event that celebrates the rich craft of basketry, including its traditions, techniques, and materials. This year’s Basket Week will bring acclaimed basket maker Steen Madsen of Ringstead, Denmark to campus. In addition to over nine basketry courses being offered at North House from October 1-7, the local community is invited to the free Basket Gathering Day on Friday, October 4. 

The Winterers’ Gathering & Arctic Film Festival celebrates the crafts, customs, and stories that have been inspired by winter. This community-centered event includes guest speakers, a winter tent camp, Arctic Film Festival, and much more. This year’s Winterers’ Gathering is scheduled for November 22-24, 2024.

For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

Related: The Gifts of North House Folk School, a piece by Jim Boyd