Now Seeking Applications for Woody Guthrie BMI Fellowship Research Travel Award - Deadline Extended

Kate Blalack Announcement
Location
Oklahoma, United States
Subject Fields
Archival Science, Human Rights, Library and Information Science, Music and Music History, Oral History

*Note we understand the travel contraints that many researcher are under due to COVID 19 and will be flexible in the project completion deadline. We welcome applications from both traditional and non-traditional researchers!

Deadline March 30th 2021 at Midnight!

The Woody Guthrie Fellowship is an annual research program open to scholars pursuing topics or themes related to American folk music progenitor Woody Guthrie. First established in 2005, the program offers an unprecedented opportunity for in-depth exploration into the many facets of Guthrie’s life, legacy, and contribution to American and world culture.

A prolific singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Woody Guthrie was not only one of the most influential musicians in American history, but also one of the most prominent cultural activists of his generation. Much of his vast body of work advanced social commentary on democracy, human rights, and economic equality, epitomized by his folk classic “This Land Is Your Land.”

The BMI Foundation, in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, annually awards up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Archives currently house over 15,000 items—the largest collection of Woody Guthrie primary resource materials anywhere in the world—including Guthrie’s original songwriting notebooks, journals, manuscripts, photographs, correspondences, personal papers, scrapbooks, artwork, and audio recordings. Scholars pursuing research related to Guthrie’s life, historical context, creative works, and musical legacy, as well as his philosophical, political, or humanistic ideals, are encouraged to apply for this prestigious fellowship.

For over a decade, the program has funded a variety of extensive research projects culminating in books, essays, lectures, curricula, public performances, artwork, and other classroom materials that illustrate Guthrie’s lasting cultural impact. 

Qualifications:
In order to be eligible for the Woody Guthrie Fellowship, all applicants must have a project-based research topic that:

  • Leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product (i.e. book, article, etc.).
  • Is sufficiently extensive as to require a suggested minimum of two weeks of research at the Woody Guthrie Archives.
Contact Information

Senior Archivist and Registrar, Kate L. Blalack, MLIS, CA, DAS

 

Contact Email
kate@woodyguthriecenter.org