The Jersey Shore Folklife Center at Tuckerton Seaport
| Lorraine Boice |
Tom Carroll |
The
Jersey Shore Folklife Center (JSFC) is located in Tuckerton, New Jersey,
on the Barnegat Bay. Its mission is to document, support, and present
the varied traditions of the communities along the Jersey coastline between
Monmouth County and Salem County, as well as those in the Pinelands region,
which has been integral to coastal culture. The JSFP carries out field
research among old and new groups, documents their traditional life on
tape and film, and creates programs that include workshops and demonstrations,
storytelling sessions, school programs, and exhibits.
The
JSFC was initiated in 1999 with funding and assistance from the New Jersey
State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. It
is hosted by the Tuckerton Seaport, a working village which currently
contains sixteen recreated historical structures representing the various
trades and crafts unique to the baymen of the Barnegat Bay region. The
Seaport is an outgrowth of the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum,
which was established in the late 1980s by a group of baymen and women
who were concerned that their traditional culture was diminishing under
pressure from shoreline development and environmental change. Today, the
Seaport works with environmentalists and bay communities to preserve and
present the environment and culture of the Barnegat Bay region. It houses
an impressive collection of baymen’s tools, decoys, boats, and photographs,
and presents instructional classes and workshops on traditional crafts.
The annual decoy show and auction is a major attraction for the entire
East Coast.
Projects and Programs
Family
& Community Life Project
The Jersey Shore Folklife Center is currently carrying out the research portion of a project on Family and Community Life in the Barnegat region. The goal of the project is to document the traditions that have arisen from the circumstances of living along the shore. Families whose lives have been shaped by the water and pursuits such as fishing, clamming, boat building, tourism, logging, and hunting are participating in the research. How these occupations have affected the annual work cycles, holidays, community organizations, auxiliary businesses, foodways, childhood games, and work rituals is being examined. The results of the research will be shaped into public programs and exhibits starting in late Fall 2003.
Decoy
Carving &
Boat Building Workshops
The Seaport presents a regular schedule of decoy carving and boat building workshops with well known craftsmen of the region. See the Seaport's website for schedules.
Resources
Available Upon Request:
- The Seaport Sentinel, a newsletter
- School Curriculum
- Photo Archive
Services Available to the Public, Organizations, and Artists:
- Tours of the Seaport
- Presentation Opportunities for Artists
Funders
The Jersey Shore Folklife Center receives ongoing support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, and has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey Historical Commission.
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