Betty Jane Belanus (born February 12, 1954) is an American

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

and folklorist. Belanus completed her graduate work in

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

and has been with the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

since 1987, ultimately working with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as an education specialist. Part of her work with the Smithsonian has been the curating of programs for the Smithsonian's annual Folklife Festival, including the 2009 Wales program. She has worked on "Smithsonian Inside Out", on the occupational life of the Smithsonian.

Life

Belanus received a B.A. in American Studies from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

in 1977. After taking a class on folklore with George Carey at

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...

, she began to pursue folklore as an academic discipline. Immediately after graduating from Smith, she enrolled in the folklore program at

, where she received her M.A. and Ph.D in Folklore. While in the graduate program at Indiana, Belanus became interested in the sub-field of public sector folklore; she worked for a time in the Mathers Museum of World Cultures at Indiana University, then sought a career in public folklore. She spent two years (1982–84) working for the Indiana Arts Commission as the state's folk arts coordinator. Belanus' relationship with the Smithsonian began in 1986 when she worked as a presenter for the Tennessee program as a part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. She began work on curating the 1988 program on Massachusettsin 1987. She then worked for the Smithsonian’s Office of Folklife Programs in various contract positions before forming the position of Education Specialist, a role co-established and shared with Marjorie Hunt. As part of her work with the Smithsonian, Belanus curated programs for the Folklife Festival, including Family Farms in the Heartland (1991), New Hampshire (1999), and The Roots of Virginia Culture (2007). As part of her work on the 2009 program on Wales, Belanus lived in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and worked as a visiting research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Media and Culture in Small Nations at the University of Glamorgan. In addition to her curating duties, which includes research, fieldwork, finding and arranging for visiting presenters and how programs should be presented, Belanus has developed education programs, including teaching seminars, and education kits. Much of her teaching work is focused on elementary and high school education programs and how teachers for these age groups can use folklore in the classroom.

Selected works

* *''Caravan to America: Living Arts of the Silk Road'', John S. Major & Betty J. Belanus, Chicago : Cricket Books, 2002, *''Seasonal: A Novel'', Round Barn Press, 2004, Belanus has produced about 55 works.

References

External links

Personal Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Belanus, Betty Jane Indiana University alumni Smithsonian Institution people 1955 births Living people American folklorists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers