We all have traditions that we have learned and carry on in our everyday lives, during ceremonies and holidays. They mark important events, such as being born, graduating from school, getting married, and being laid to rest. The multi-cultural landscape of our region offers a rich variety of stories, experiences and practices that have become an integral part of the Down Jersey living traditions and artistic expressions. These are the traditions of our families, friends, neighbors and colleagues and they are all part of our South Jersey home.

The current displays feature cultures of many communities that share a common identity (ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, or religion), a commonplace (neighborhood, town, city, and region) or a common interest (occupation/profession, environment and nature preservation, health, social care, etc.). We also highlight the creative process and the individual artistic interpretations of ideas, beliefs, materials or techniques. Many of the artworks encourage further thoughts on the relevance of the “authenticity” concept in the past and present day context of adaptation and fusion of cultural elements.

The exhibition offers a cross-cultural exploration of folk and traditional arts as associated with their ethnic, occupational and regional versions. 

Ethnic Traditions

These are traditions of ethnic groups who share the same language, a common origin or ancestry, historical memories and a link with a homeland (physical occupation or symbolic attachment with it). There are more than 110 ethnic groups in South Jersey whose cultural heritage includes a great variety of visual and performing arts. Examples of visual arts in our displays include: Native American pine-needle basketry and beadwork, Mexican woodcarving and ceramics, Japanese origami and kimekomi dolls, Indian mirror work and shola pith carving, Italian majolica and bobbin lace, Philippine wood carvings and baybayin script, Romanian and Guatemalan weavings, Chinese knotting and temari balls, Ukrainian pysanky and embroidery, to mention a few.

Regional Traditions

Regional traditions are based on the natural resources in our area–water ways, wetlands, forests, and land. They also tell stories of Down Jersey and its residents. Examples include quilting, decoy carving, basketry, and visual representations of our oldest recorded legend – the stories of the Jersey Devil. 

Occupational Traditions

Workers learn and pass on techniques for the proper way to do a job – very often in a master-apprentice relationship; they also achieve solidarity and group identity through on-the-job sayings, songs, and celebrations. One example of occupational traditions in our area include glass making, which has been around for several centuries and it is still a part of our Glass studio practice.
All exhibited artworks represent “living traditions” – traditions that are not frozen in time but flexible and adaptive to the constantly changing cultural context The artworks on display aim to make us think of how folk and traditional art forms are both unique and universal and how is their symbolism perceived by “insiders” and “outsiders” of a certain cultural group. We believe that by understanding “others” we can better understand “ourselves” and that by learning about cultures that are different from our own, we deeper appreciate what diversity means in our Down Jersey home.