Bess lomax hawes
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"Big Jim," as he is known, is perhaps most familiar as the founder of Tucson's annual community ethnic heritage festival, Tucson Meet Yourself.īegun in 1974, the three-day fall festival draws musicians, artists and ethnic cuisine from at least 60 cultural groups, both indigenous and imported. In 1979 he started the Southwest Folklore Center at the UA as a way to preserve and give light to the dozens of cultures that live in the region. In particular, the NEA singled out Griffith for the Bess Lomax Hawes Fellowship, which "recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage," and calling him "the personification of the intent of the fellowship."Ī native of Santa Barbara, Calif., Griffith came to Tucson in 1955 to attend the UA and earned three degrees, including a doctorate in cultural anthropology and art history. Griffith is among nine people who have been awarded the 2011 NEA National Heritage Fellowship.
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Griffith, whose career has been devoted to celebrating and honoring the folkways and religious expression found along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts for his efforts. Former University of Arizona anthropologist and folklorist James S.