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My scholarship is the foundation of my professional practice. By examining the occupational folklore of creative communities—from membership organizations to Midwestern potters to professional filmmakers—I’ve gained a deep understanding of how informal networks, shared traditions, and cultural identity drive collaboration. These publications and presentations explore the intersection of community, identity, and the unwritten rules that determine how professional groups can thrive.
At the core of every resilient organization is a community with an informal culture of collaboration. My research focuses on the knowledge and practices that sustain these communities, particularly within the arts and creative startups. If you’re working on an initiative related to my scholarship, I’d be glad to consult or collaborate. To connect, find me on LinkedIn or fill out my contact form.
Use the links below to navigate to relevant sections:
Books
Books
The Michiana Potters: Art, Collaboration, and Community in the Midwest. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020.
Advancing Folkloristics. Jesse A. Fivecoate, Kristina Downs, and Meredith A.E. McGriff, eds. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2021
Articles & Book Chapters
Articles & Book Chapters
"Enough Clay Through Your Fingers" in Ceramics Monthly, January 2023.
“Presence Matters” in The Studio Potter, September 2021.
“Designing Visual Communications” in What Folklorists Do: Professional Possibilities in Folklore Studies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2021.
“Introduction” by Jesse A. Fivecoate, Kristina Downs, and Meredith A.E. McGriff, in Advancing Folkloristics. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2021.
“The Politics of Triviality” by Jesse A. Fivecoate, Kristina Downs, and Meredith A.E. McGriff, in Advancing Folkloristics. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2021.
“The Future Out of the Past: The Conference on the Future of American Folkloristics” by Jesse A. Fivecoate, Kristina Downs, and Meredith A.E. McGriff, in Folklore in the United States and Canada: An Institutional History, Patricia Sawin and Rosemary Lévy Zumwalt, eds. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020.
“Folk Art Summit” in Indiana Folk Art: 200 Years of Tradition and Innovation. Jon Kay, ed. Bloomington: Mathers Museum of World Cultures, 2016.
“The Temptation to Touch: Considerations in Curating Pottery Exhibits” in National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Journal, vol. 35: 116-117, 2014.
“Try It and See” on The Good of Goshen website, 2014.
Book Reviews
Book Reviews
Review of Marching Dykes, Liberated Sluts, and Concerned Mothers: Women Transforming Public Space, by Elizabeth Currans, 2017. In Journal of American Folklore (Spring 2020).
Review of Fever Within: The Art of Ronald Lockett, by Bernard L. Herman, 2016. In Journal of Folklore Research Reviews (November 2017).
Review of Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts, by Eveline MacLeod and Daniel W. MacInnes. 2014. In Journal of Folklore Research Reviews (April 2015).
Presentations, Guest Lectures, Workshops
Presentations, Guest Lectures, Workshops
2026
2026
Panelist: "Creativity as Regional Infrastructure," Creative Economy Summit / Idea Week, https://ideaweek.com/events-2026/
2025
2025
Guest Speaker: "Cultural Sensitivity in Professional Organizations," membership organizations working group
2024
2024
Panelist: “Here to Help: Folklorists Leading Nonprofits Beyond (Just) the Folk and Traditional Arts,” American Folklore Society annual meeting
2023
2023
Facilitator: "2SLGBTQ+ History and Activism," American Folklore Society annual meeting
2022
2022
Panelist: “Notable Folklorists of Color, Roundtable, Part 1: Process and Praxis,” American Folklore Society annual meeting
Interviewee, livestream interview, Folkwise LIVE from Tulsa
2021
2021
Roundtable Discussion: “Alt-Ac, Also-Ac, and Folklorists’ Occupations,” American Folklore Society annual meeting
Presentation: “Individuals Together in Pottery and Folklore,” Midwest Folklorists & Cultural Workers Alliance monthly meeting
Presentation: “Building Professional Communities in Pottery and Folklore,” Western States Folklore Society annual conference
2020
2020
Guest Lecture: “Indiana Wood Fired Pottery,” Indiana Folklore course, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN
Author Chat with The Studio Potter, https://youtu.be/CVyMA723aeE
Invited Speaker: Entrepreneur Panel, The Success School, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce
2019
2019
Session Chair: “Queer as Folk(lore): Spotlight Panel,” American Folklore Society annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland
2018
2018
Presentation: “‘Why We Sing’: Reflections on a Men’s Chorus for Gay/Bi/Trans Men (and Allies) in the Conservative Midwest,” American Folklore Society annual meeting in Buffalo, New York
Presentation: “Individuals Together: Independent Professional Potters as an Occupational Folk Group,” Working Life: Belief, Custom, Ritual, Narrative, a conference of The Folklore Society of England
2017
2017
Why I’m a Folklorist participant, American Folklore Society special project
Guest Lecture: “The Occupational Folklore of Potters,” United States Folklore course, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN
Roundtable Discussion: “Putting Your Whole Self In: Queer Scholars Discuss Experiences in the Field,” event organized by the Institute for Advanced Study, Indiana University
2016
2016
Presentation: “Developing Vocational Habitus: Narratives of Joining an Occupational Group,” American Folklore Society annual meeting in Miami, FL
Roundtable Discussion: “Female Bodies in the Field,” The Ohio State University and Indiana University Folklore and Ethnomusicology Conference
2015
2015
Presentation: “Reading Gestures: Intersections of Potters’ Folk Beliefs and Neuroscience,” American Folklore Society annual meeting in Long Beach, CA
Presentation: “‘Framing’ Rookwood: Visual and Rhetorical Framing of American Art Pottery within the Late 19th Century Fine Art World,” Indiana University and The Ohio State University Folklore and Ethnomusicology Conference
2014
2014
Presentation: “Sustaining Craft: The Role of Wood Firing in the Development of the Michiana Aesthetic,” American Folklore Society annual meeting in Santa Fe, NM
Presentation: “The Temptation to Touch: Considerations in Curating Pottery Exhibits,” National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts annual conference in Milwaukee, WI
Presentation: “Mirroring and Remastering in Potter-Customer Interactions,” The Ohio State University and Indiana University Folklore and Ethnomusicology Conference
2013
2013
Guest Lecture: “Michiana Wood Fired Pottery,” United States Folklore course, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN
Guest Lecture: “Wood Fired Pottery and Kiln Openings,” Indiana Folklore course, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN
Presentation: “Making Melted Ash: Comments from the Curator,” Stoking the Fire: A Contemporary Pottery Symposium, Bloomington, IN
Guest Lecture: “Raku Pottery in Japan and America,” Introductory Folklore course, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, IN
2012
2012
Guest Lecture: “Indiana Wood Fired Pottery” United States Folklore course, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN
Guest Lecture: “Raku Pottery: From Japan to America,” United States Folklore course, Indiana University – Bloomington, IN
2011
2011
Visiting Artist Lecture and Raku Workshop, Ceramics Department, Ball State University, Muncie, IN
Raku Workshop, Bloomington Clay Studio, Bloomington, IN
Media Appearances
Media Appearances
July 1, 2022 – WFYI Film Sociology interview with Matthew Socey
https://www.wfyi.org/programs/film-soceyology/radio/hoosier-films-mobile-cinema
June 22, 2022 – Mobile Cinema project hopes to roll out indie films across Indiana
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2022/06/22/mobile-cinema-project-hopes-roll-credits-indie-films-across-state/7573700001/
June 7, 2022 – WISH-TV News 8 ‘UnPHILtered’: Hoosier Films brings cinema to you
https://www.wishtv.com/news/unphiltered-hoosier-films-brings-cinema-to-you/
March 18, 2022 – WFYI Film Sociology interview with Matthew Socey
https://www.wfyi.org/programs/film-soceyology/radio/hoosier-films
Sept. 2, 2020 – 2020 Hoosier Films Festival goes virtual
https://www.wrtv.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2020-hoosier-films-festival-goes-virtual
Mar. 14, 2020 – New local company focuses on Indiana films
https://www.hoosiertimes.com/herald_times_online/entertainment/new-local-company-focuses-on-indiana-films/article_ddc27ab0-63cb-11ea-82eb-db84684502ff.html
Dec. 14, 2019 – An Indiana alum’s homegrown streaming service celebrates “Hoosier Films”
https://btn.com/2019/12/14/indiana-alum-launches-hoosier-films/
Oct. 8, 2019 – New streaming service Hoosier Films connects Indiana filmmakers
https://news.iu.edu/stories/2019/10/iub/inside/08-hoosier-films-streaming-service.html
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