What possibilities for collaborative work exist in studying craft? What lessons can be applied from craft to community engagement projects? This presentation explores case studies of ethnographic practice to understand how sustainable work can be maintained with communities. From the craft of musical instruments to transformation of rural spaces, I explore how methods of engagement and collaboration open new venues for mutually beneficial and sustainable work in cultural heritage. I draw from examples in my work in the Appalachian region of the United States where many people face uncertain futures due to changing economic and social conditions. A place-based approach to the craft of musical instruments from local forests and rebuilding local economies serve as the central focus of this work. At the individual researcher and institutional scale, this presentation explores methods and questions that arise in long-term, engaged projects with individuals and communities.

About the Speaker

Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth is a cultural anthropologist and folklorist specializing in community engagement and craft traditions in mountain communities. He currently serves as the Public Folklorist and Postdoctoral Scholar at The Ohio State University Center for Folklore Studies. He has researched musical and material craft traditions in global contexts through his work with the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Cultural History Program and the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology and Appalachian Center, where he earned his PhD in 2019. His recent research interests have involved craft economies and production in global mountain forests, with a focus on Carpathia and Appalachia and collaborative methods. His upcoming book, Finding the Singing Spruce explores the connections between the meaning of craft work and forest environments in the craft of musical instruments in West Virginia.