Who Are We?
Our Mission
LTFAI
We are a Canadian non-profit organization devoted to preserving Lithuanian heritage through its traditional arts and crafts. Established in 1977, by the visionary and influential folk artists Antanas and Anastazija Tamosaitis, the Institute provides a forum for collaboration and communication among folk artists in the diaspora. Our mission is to continue the preservation of traditional folk art by archiving material and providing opportunities for scholarship and learning.
This website was created to promote the Institute and its activities and to showcase traditional folk art created in the diaspora during and after the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in the twentieth century. Our website is in English, so that younger generations of Lithuanians may easily access the information we provide.
We have provided a digital archive that includes photos, techniques and reference material for a wide variety of folk art including weaving, Easter eggs, straw ornaments and others. This information is available in the Resources section.
We have provided a digital archive that includes photos, techniques and reference material for a wide variety of folk art including weaving, Easter eggs, straw ornaments and others. This information is available in the Resources section.
Our Guiding Principles
Promote understanding
Preserve our cultural treasures
Honour artists and craftspeople
Provide accessibility to art and techniques
Serve as a seminal source of information and scholarship
We are a non-profit volunteer organization with our board and membership comprised of predominantly Canadian and American artists, craftspeople and individuals interested in experiencing and preserving our unique heritage. We are headquartered in Toronto, Canada with membership open to all.
We hope to continue to nurture a community of Lithuanian folk art artisans and enthusiasts. We encourage you to share your work and experiences with the LTFAI community. Get involved!
Learn more about our community ...What We Do
We have expanded our offerings online over the past couple of years. This includes workshops where various folk art techniques are taught by experts as well as LTFAI talks that showcase various aspects of Lithuanian folk art in lecture format.
LTFAI holds an annual general meeting each spring, bringing together artisans from across North America to exchange work and ideas, and to create and strengthen member friendships and working relationships.
The meeting is an occasion for lectures by special guests, as well as the presentation of new works and the opportunity to purchase books and other materials.
Since the pandemic, our AGM is held online and hopefully will be both in person and online in the near future.
An artisan specializing in knitting. She taught a knitting workshop at the LTFAI AGM several years ago and fell in love with the organization. Not only is she a prolific author of knitting books, with “The Art of Lithuanian Knitting” under her belt, but she’s also the creative genius behind our social media presence.
Ramune is a translator and editor, who worked with the Canadian Lithuanian Weekly Tėviškės žiburiai as managing editor for over 20 years.