Founder Jane Beck Reflects on Andy’s 20 years at the Folklife Center

This year marks Associate Director and Archivist Andy Kolovos' 20th anniversary at the Folklife Center. We asked Jane Beck, the VFC’s Founder and Director from 1984 to 2007, to reflect on Andy’s time with the organization.

A critical position at the VFC has always been that of the Archivist, but finding someone trained in both archiving and folk studies is often impossible. Fate was smiling on us when I called Moira Marsh in 2001 at Indiana University to see if she knew of any students who might be looking for such a job. She told me about a young man, Andy Kolovos, who was just finishing up his PhD studies in Folklore and Ethnomusicology and had a Masters in Library Science. I contacted him immediately, and he agreed to come to Vermont to have a look. As I was meeting his plane, I wondered if I would have trouble spotting him, but out came a tall young man with black hair, dressed in shirt and tie, with a jacket slung jauntily over one shoulder. (I didn’t know it then, but this was his “jobhunting look.” I don’t think I ever saw him in a tie or jacket again, except at his wedding!) 

I liked him immediately. He overcame his nervousness quickly, as he talked about his work at IU. He was bright, knew his stuff, had a good sense of humor and a deep laugh. As we showed him around the Folklife Center he seemed comfortable with the rest of the staff who, together, felt he was just the right person for the job. The position was offered. He accepted, and it is hard to believe that was twenty years ago.  

Andy found an apartment within walking distance of the Center and settled down to the task of organizing the collections. He fit right in: a bit quirky, shuffling around in his bear claw slippers, passionate about comics, he and Greg bonded talking theory and then about everything else. As a vegetarian he blanched at the prospect of the Folklife Center’s annual Game Dinner, but participated enthusiastically in all but the food. Soon he was soliciting collections, encouraging internships and making an impact in programming.

His personal life also flourished. He found Jenny, an anthropologist at UVM. They married, had two girls, he somehow finished his dissertation, and maintained the home-front when Jenny did fieldwork in Ukraine. At the Folklife Center he took on an expanded role, becoming our IT man, doing some interviewing, and when we moved to 88 Main Street, he designed the Archive and helped develop the studio. From 2007 to 2012 he not only maintained the Archive, but also helped Greg with programming. That year Andy and Greg took over as co-directors of the VFC, Andy taking responsibility for bolstering the organization’s finances. He never wanted a prominent role, but he was not afraid of doing what was necessary, quietly shouldering burdens he disliked, often dealing with individuals who drove him to distraction.

For the last decade he has been the heart and soul of the VFC, competently managing an excessive workload while Greg was so ill, and in the aftermath when Kate was working on her dissertation. He oversaw the Turner project with the Preservation Trust and the Windham Foundation, carefully monitoring every phase; he encouraged projects from the Archive, particularly with Franco American material, and with his love of comics, launched two projects that will place the Folklife Center on the cutting edge of the graphic novel movement. Andy is dedicated, has a strong moral compass, and always takes great care with everything he does, whether financial, organizational, or programmatic.

Others noticed him and sought to lure him away, but thankfully, he has remained loyal to the VFC and has served as its bedrock!

Thank you, Andy!!