Collected Materials on the Zora Neale Hurston Festival, 1989-2017
Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- University of Central Florida. Library
- Abstract:
- The collection contains documents related to the festival bearing the name of the late poet, writer, anthropologist, and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston. Since 1990, the Zora Neale Hurston Festival has attracted individuals from across the country in academic and artistic disciplines wishing to celebrate Zora Neale Hurston and African American culture as a whole. The following folders contain the programs from festival years 1990 to 2017. In addition to its annual festival, the Association to Preserve Eatonville, Inc. has expanded its focus and community activities to inform and celebrate the life and work of Zora Neale Hurston and Eatonville.
- Extent:
- 0.6 Linear Feet 1 Box
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
Collected Materials on the Zora Neale Hurston Festival, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
Background
- Scope and content:
The collection is divided into three series, each organized chronologically.
The Zora Neale Hurston Festivals collected materials contain documents spanning the festivals inception in 1989 until 2017. The first series of documents primarily contain programs printed for each year's festival. While there is not a complete set, the collection currently contains programs from 1990 to 2017. The second series contains materials concerning the African American Community in Eatonville with a particular focus on cultural programming. The third series contains magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and brochures that illustrate the growing programs and projects of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community. These include student and teacher workshops, art exhibitions, and publications that resulted from the growing influence of Zora Neale Hurston's work.
- Biographical / historical:
The Zora Neale Hurston Festival, also known as the Zora Neal Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities or the ZORA! Festival, is an annual multi-day event that takes place in Eatonville, Florida, and throughout Orange County in late January. Raised in Eatonville, Zora Neale Hurston contributed to the Harlem Renaissance as a writer, storyteller, anthropologist, and ethnographer. She wrote four novels and over fifty short stories, plays, and essays, including her most popular novel Their Eyes Were Watching God which was set in Eatonville. Since 1990, the festival has celebrated and honored the legacy of Hurston and other people of African ancestry who have made significant cultural contributions to the world through public talks, workshops, museum exhibitions, historical tours, stage performances, arts education programming, an academic humanities- based conference, and an outdoor festival. The festival is themed into five-year cycles with each year contributing towards the overarching theme. Numerous celebrity guest speakers have been featured at the festival including Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Pearl Cleage, Danny Glover and Deborah Willis.
The Zora Neale Hurston Festival is organized by the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (PEC), a historic preservation and arts organization led by N.Y. Nathiri. As of 2024, the festival's sponsors include Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program, University of Central Florida, Florida Humanities, the town of Eatonville, Florida, Florida Division of Arts and Culture, and The World Conference of Mayors, Inc. The festival continues to operate and maintain its goals of perpetuating the memory and legacy of Zora Neale Hurston and preserving the Eatonville community.
- Acquisition information:
- University of Central Florida Libraries collected these materials in 2007 (CFM2007_05).
- Processing information:
Collection processed by Ryan Groves, Lindsay Mazziotto, and Courtney Toelle; finding aid prepared by Ryan Groves, Lindsay Mazziotto, and Courtney Toelle.
University of Central Florida Libraries collected these materials in 2007.
- Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two series, each organized chronologically and then alphabetically.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
The entire collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
- Preferred citation:
Collected Materials on the Zora Neale Hurston Festival, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.
- Location of this collection:
-
John C. Hitt Library12701 Pegasus Drive, Building 2OrlandoFL32816-8030USA
