The Traditional Arts Program (TAP) was founded in 1983 and funded by an endowment from the Paul L. and Phyllis Wattis Foundation. As part of the Department of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences, the TAP is dedicated to documenting, interpreting, and presenting the complex cultural heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our various endeavors highlight the diverse forms of cultural expression being practiced in local neighborhoods and ethnic communities, including traditional music, dance, crafts, foodways, storytelling, puppetry, dress, animal husbandry, and martial arts.

Traditional or folk arts are the creative expressions of everyday life, the dynamic cultural forms through which we all negotiate, communicate, and transform our shared sense of meaning and value from one generation to the next. Within a community context--for instance, among those who share a common heritage, belief system, occupation, or geography--folk arts may enhance a sense of identity and belonging or, at times, offer a critique of community norms. Folk art practices, such as music, storytelling, and crafts, are generally learned and taught informally, through family or community connections or through specialized occupational or interest groups.