See how the past shapes the present-day work of visionary sculptor Luis Tapia from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over nearly five decades, Tapia’s sculptures have transformed the Hispano woodcarving tradition into colorful, modern-day social commentary and revitalized the centuries-old art of the santero (saint-maker). For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage

Hear how pipa player Wu Man of Carlsbad, California, plucks expressive musical colors and textures from her native China to share with new audiences in the United States and around the world. As a virtuoso of the centuries-old, pear-shaped, four-stringed Chinese lute, Wu Man is a cultural ambassador who bridges American and Chinese traditions through her music and teaching. For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage

Witness the revitalization of Eastern Woodlands/Algonquian traditional arts take form in the skilled hands of Wampanoag Tribe member Elizabeth James-Perry (Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah) of Dartmouth, Massachusetts. James-Perry’s fiber art combines historical research and family knowledge with careful preparation of natural materials to create hand-sculpted wampum beads, soft fiber basketry, and ancient forms of woven wampum. For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage

Say aloha to Roen Hufford of Waimea, Hawaiʻi, as she imprints her Hawaiian values of respect for the land and helping the community on the barkcloth she makes using the traditional art of ka hana kapa. Inspired by the richness of her environment, Hufford’s kapa designs have helped reclaim this labor-intensive, nearly lost art. For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage

Travel with Joe DeLeon “Little Joe” Hernández from the one-room, dirt floor shack in Temple, Texas, where he was born, through 65 years, 70 albums, and five Grammy Awards. Along with his band, Little Joe y La Familia, Hernández helped pioneer the mix of traditional Norteño, country, blues, and rock styles fans worldwide know today as Tejano music. For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage

Piece together how Michael A. Cummings of New York, New York, carries on the tradition of the African griot (storyteller) to transform quilts from utilitarian objects to coveted collectible art collages that preserve the family and cultural histories of generations of African Americans. Cummings stitches the stories of African American life into his quilts with vibrant colors, patchwork, and hand embroidery.For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage

Learn how Ed Eugene Carriere (Suquamish)’s great-grandmother and more than 225 generations of his ancestors from the Suquamish Tribe taught him the 4,500-year-old art of Salish basketry. From Indianola, Washington, Carriere weaves the tale of using the clam-gathering baskets he creates to pass on the deep-rooted cultural and artistic heritage of the Salish Sea and its peoples to the next generation. For more on the NEA National Heritage Fellowships: https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritageVideo with Audio Description here.