221. 2015 Indiana State Fair Master: Mauri Williamson (09:29)

Date:
2015-08-22
Main contributors:
Mauri Williamson (Master), Jon Kay (Director), Shaun Williams (Production and Editing), Geoff Guernsey and Olivia Smiley (Music), Andrew Wei (Recorder of Music), Jessy Yancey and Mark Evans (Additional Footage),Traditional Arts Indiana
Summary:
Thanks to Mauri Williamson, the Pioneer Village has become one of the most popular and beloved activities of the Indiana State Fair. The Village celebrates Indiana’s agricultural heritage through displaying antique tractors and farm implements, as well as by hosting old-time craft and farm-life demonstrations. The roots of the Village date to 1961 when Mauri, then the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association secretary, brought a collection of farming artifacts from the university to create an educational display at the Indiana State Fair. In 1968, the Village began to grow when the Fair built a barn dedicated to housing its unique collection. From fiddling and quilting to threshing and storytelling, today the Pioneer Village features dozens of musicians, artisans, and demonstrators who share their talents with fairgoers. More than just the founder of the Pioneer Village, for over 54 years Mauri Williamson has worked to make the Village a memorable experience for countless Hoosiers. The Indiana State Fair Master Award was established to recognize long-time fair participants, who share their knowledge and talents at the Fair. Indiana University's Traditional Arts Indiana and Indiana State Fair are Honored to name Mauri Williamson the 2015 Indiana State Fair Master.

222. 2017 Indiana State Fair Master: Bill Bailey (08:58)

Date:
2017-07-23
Main contributors:
Bill Bailey (Master), Jon Kay (Director), Geoff Davis and Bill Bailey (Music), The Hayloft Gang (Archival Photographs), Traditional Arts Indiana
Summary:
A fixture at the Indiana State Fair for many years, Bill Bailey coordinates the entertainment in the Pioneer Village, inviting musicians, storytellers, and other entertainers from around the state to perform on the village’s two rustic stages. His relationship with the fair began in 1991, when he played percussion with a band in the village—but Bill is no ordinary percussionist. A self-proclaimed “idiophonist,” he makes his rhythmic music with spoons, washboards, and a variety of other everyday items. Bill played percussion throughout his school years, but sold his drums when he went to college, remaining “music-less” for a while. Then in 1976, a couple that played old-time music moved next door, and he was inspired to try his hand at the mandolin, guitar, and harmonica—yet percussion continued to call to him. He picked up playing the spoons, and eventually began tapping out his syncopated rhythms on a washboard and a variety of other resonate objects such as a wooden shoe, triangles, and horse shoes. Before long, Bill was playing multiple styles of music including old-time, blues, and jug band. In 1991, Bill played with a couple of bands that were performing in the fair’s Pioneer Village. He was hooked. Each year he returned and played with a variety of musicians. In 2003, Gerry Gray, the original music coordinator for the village, chose Bill as her replacement. He continued to book the old-time and dulcimer music that had been featured at the fair since the 1970s, but he also expanded the program to include a greater variety of traditional music and other forms of entertainment. One successful program that he helped develop was a tribute to the WLS National Barn Dance, which featured the music and theatrical routines of the popular radio show in the early 20th Century. For six years, large audiences came to see this reenactment show. Besides his work at the Indiana State Fair, Bill serves as a musical ambassador for the Columbus Washboard Company, the last manufacturer of hand-built washboards in North America. Bill paints and outfits their boards, transforming them into musical instruments. The company sells dozens of Bill’s musical boards, which they ship all over the world. Each year, Bill also travels to Ohio to perform at their Washboard Music Festival to promote this unique musical genre. Today, in addition to his own musical pursuits, Bill continues to coordinate the entertainment at the Pioneer Village. From old-time country, bluegrass, gospel, and blues, to storytelling and fiddling contests, the stages at the village help create a nostalgic atmosphere where fairgoers can escape the pressures of contemporary life. And while he makes sure the Pioneer Village stage shows run smoothly, visitors can still find Bill Bailey tapping out his upbeat rhythms and entertaining audiences.

223. 2017 Victorian Song Camp (37:18)

Date:
2017
Main contributors:
Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, Jessica Raposo, Caryle Bailey, Chris Robinson
Summary:
Songs for school and play. Victorian Song-Camp Singers: (in order of age) Mikayla Petersheim age 8 Anabella Triana age 8 Caleigh Collins age 9 Noa Cox age 9 Suri Onder age 9 Reagan Phillips age 9 Josie Roller age 9 Olivia Roller age 9 Ada Smoker age 9 Avery VanDervort age 9 Ayla Bales age 10 Anna Claire Ream age 10 Grace Stewart* age 10 Eden Judd* age 12 Kaitlyn Stoner age 12 Ashley Madill age 13 *Members of the 2015 Hymn Camp Co-Directors: Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, Jessica Raposo Pianist: Caryl Bailey Sound Engineer: Chris Robinson

224. 2018 Indiana State Fair Master: Kathy Rucker (Clogging and Dance Instructor) (06:14)

Date:
2018-07-10
Main contributors:
Kathy Rucker (Master), Jon Kay (Director), Traditional Arts Indiana
Summary:
Though born in Indiana, Kathy Rucker traveled around the world, following her father during his naval duty in the submarine service. When she was sixteen her family returned to Indianapolis. Throughout those young years there was one constant—Kathy was always dancing. She recalls, “I was either dancing with the cabinet, dancing with the refrigerator handle, dancing in my room— dancing all over the house.” Years later she would study square dancing and round dancing but clogging “caught her eye” when she saw a group performing at a local festival. So, she began taking clogging classes on the southside of Indianapolis and soon discovered that she was “pretty good at it.” “Why would you want to start clogging when you are forty?” some asked her, but Kathy recognized that it was fun way to exercise, and to meet people. Eventually, several fellow students suggested to her that instead of driving all the way to the southside to take lessons, they could clog with Kathy at her eastside home. What began as a small group, soon outgrew her garage. Before long, she started teaching classes for older adults. First one, then a second, but as quickly as she added a new session, it filled. Finally, she was up to teaching twenty-one classes each week. As she jokes, “It keeps the body in shape… it keeps the body tired.” To fuel her teaching, Kathy traveled around the country taking clogging and dance workshops and classes, in addition to learning how to dance better, these experiences also taught her how to be a better teacher. She explains, “You can be a great dancer and a lousy teacher, and you can be an average dancer and a great teacher. I was going for the great teacher, I didn’t care if I was a superb dancer, I just wanted to teach someone how to do what I love to do.” In 1995, Kathy volunteered to manage a small dance stage at the Indiana State Fair. That first year, the crowds wanting to see clogging were so big that it blocked the roadway and the fair shuttles could not pass. To accommodate the popularity of the dance stage, the fair moved it several times to larger and better locations. Today, the dance stage is located in Celebration Park and has grown to as big as it can get at the fair. Throughout the run of the fair, the stage features a variety of dance groups, and serves as a great promotional tool for dancing groups around the region. Two of Kathy’s groups, The Circle City Cloggers and Still Kickin, are regular acts at the fair; performing several times each week. While the Circle City Cloggers consist of dancers from their teens on up, Still Kickin is for older adults, 55 and older. The idea of an older adults group emerged when several of the members of the Circle City group felt the routines were getting too hard on them. Kathy too was getting older but recognized the elders desire to continue clogging. While some are alumni of the Circle City group, others are older women and men who didn’t start dancing until they were in their sixties or seventies. Kathy also teaches line dancing in the Indianapolis area. One of her groups, the Heritage Place Ladies of the Dance is a group of older African American women who love to dance. They dance to classic Motown as well as more contemporary popular music. Kathy started the class nearly twenty-five years ago, and several of the original dancers are still with the group. Odessa Higginson, the “elder of the club” is 92-year-old, explains “I love dancing, and I intend to keep dancing as long as I can keep moving.” For several years, Kathy taught twenty-one dance classes each week, but as she got older she slowly pared them down to the ten groups that she teaches today. At 73, she explains that dancing is more than a hobby or a job for her. It literally saved her life. She explains, “I’ve had cancer twice, and the doctors told me that if I hadn’t been so physically fit I wouldn’t have made it. I credit dancing with saving my life…I will probably continue to clog until I can’t lift my foot anymore!” Kathy and the Indiana State Fair have fostered a wonderful network of dancing clubs throughout the greater Indianapolis area. Kathy teaches the class and organizes the groups, and the fair helps promote the benefits of dance through its dance stage. Nevertheless, Kathy Rucky has made an incredible contribution to the cultural vitality and the health and wellness of all the communities in which she works.

226. 2019 Bands of Mercy (25:37)

Date:
2019
Main contributors:
Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, Jessica Raposo, Chris Robinson, Madeleine Demetriades
Summary:
Bands of Mercy songs: songs for animal-welfare children’s organizations of the late 19th century in America and England. 2019 Victorian Song-Camp Singers (all children’s voices used with parental permission): Caleigh Koechlein Grace Stewart** Melody Stewart Mikayla Petersheim* Caleigh Collins* Molly Fuller Matilda Fuller Cecelia Hargrove Topanga Stingley Lea Ramsey Hailey Day Taytem Rivera Harleigh Raduenz Karaline Byers # Alice Couch Lucy Couch *member of 2015 and/or 2017 Victorian camps! Co-Directors: Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, Jessica Raposo Pianist: Madeleine Demetriades Sound Engineer: Chris Robinson Costumer: Sharon Walker Location: Central United Methodist Church, Richmond, IN

227. 2019 Indiana State Fair Master: Ellsworth Christmas (Pioneer Arts Demonstrator) (05:43)

Date:
2019-07-05
Main contributors:
Ellsworth Christmas (Master), Jon Kay (Director), Traditional Arts Indiana
Summary:
For nearly 45 years, Ellsworth Christmas has volunteered at the Indiana State Fair’s Pioneer Village to teach fairgoers about Indiana’s traditional crafts and agricultural practices. He grew up on a farm in rural Warrick County, Indiana at a time when farming with a mule and plough was slowly giving way to tractors. In 1975, Maurie Williamson* at the Purdue Ag Alumni Association invited the young extension specialist to demonstrate chair caning at the Pioneer Village. In subsequent years, Ellsworth constructed a smoke house and built the pin-framed barn that serves as the backdrop for the Pioneer Village stage. He worked with other From splitting shingles and smoking hams to building wooden wheels and making an ox yoke at the fair, Ellsworth Christmas has worked to preserve Indiana’s farming heritage through his contributions and demonstrations at the Pioneer Village. volunteer artisans to build the “Johnson Cabin,” a replica of the 1822 cabin that once stood on the fairgrounds. While he continues to demonstrate during the fair each year, Ellsworth works with a team of volunteers to restore the village’s collection of antique farming equipment and wagons.

228. 2019 Indiana State Fair Master: Rodnie Bryant (Musician and Gospel Day Coordinator) (05:43)

Date:
2022-07-12
Main contributors:
Rodnie Bryant (Master), Jon Kay (Director), Channel 40-WHMB Family Broadcasting Corporation (Gospel Day Video),Traditional Arts Indiana, Indiana State Fair
Summary:
Rodnie Bryant was raised in a “very religious” and musical home. In his youth, he learned music theory alongside his older sister at the Wurlitzer Music Company and later took private lessons. His musical repertoire draws from the classical and jazz music he studied and the gospel music he sang every Sunday. Mentored by “musical giants” in Indianapolis, such as Robert Turner, Al “The Bishop” Hobbs, and Delores “Sugar” Poindexter, Rodnie soon gained national recognition as a gospel musician and recording artist. His accomplishments include a Grammy Award nomination in 1998, and winning Gospel Music Workshop of America Excellence Awards for both “Choir of the Year” and “Song of the Year.” His music became a staple among church choirs in many congregations both locally and beyond. Raised in Indianapolis within walking distance of the fairgrounds, Rodnie has always enjoyed attending the big event with his family and friends. In 1995, the Indiana State Fair asked him to coordinate “Gospel Music Day,” which features both local and national gospel music talents. Since the first program, which had 400 attendees, Gospel Music Day has grown to host an audience of nearly 4000 every year. Rodnie takes pride in producing an event that is “wholesome, good and able to service an entire family.”