WHO: University of Pennsylvania Center for Folklore and Ethnography, Graduate students in folklore and folklife

WHAT: "Gathering/Place: Folklore, Aesthetic Ecologies and the Public Domain" Conference and Reunion

WHEN: Friday, April 2, noon-8 p.m., Saturday, April 3, 9 a.m.-9p.m

WHERE:  Logan Hall on the University of Pennsylvania campus

During the past 40 years the department of Folklore and Folklife has produced generations of scholars who, with advanced degrees in folklore, have shaped the field of folklore and impacted public policy through ethnographic writings; media documentaries; the development of academic programs, archives and centers; and public programs in arts, community planning and development and the health professions.  Many of these folklorists will return to campus April 2-3 for the conference and reunion.

The event offers the public the chance to explore the contribution Penn Folklore has made to public life through the study of vernacular culture.  Conference highlights will include sessions on folklore performances and panel discussions on cultural memory and cultural preservation.

Additional information about the event is available at http://www.sas.upenn.edu/folklore/center/gatheringplace/index.html  or by calling Mary Hufford at 215-898-7352