The University of Arizona Library contains the correspondence, financial records, publicity, photographs, slides, and audiotape reels and tape reel transcripts documenting the Tucson Meet Yourself (TMY) cultural heritage festival held since 1974.
Dr. James S. Griffith, founder of the UA Folklore Center is also co-founder of Tucson Meet Yourself. He served as coordinator for most of the festivals nearly 40 years. Dr. Griffith secured a release from participants which allows for use and distribution of the materials for educational purposes only. An estimated 400 to 500 photographs and slides exist for each year covering every aspect of the festival including booths, artists, musicians, dancers, performances, and volunteer workers. Three hundred twenty-four (324) reel-to-reel tape recordings cover the main stage performances, interviews and workshops. Performances consist primarily of all kinds of ethnic music, but also include the annual corridos competition, fiddle workshops, cowboy poetry and storytelling workshops, railroad oral history interviews, personal interviews and workshops.
Watch this video from October 8, 2009, of Big Jim Griffith talking about the festival. [Flash video]