Secretary of State Announces the Recipient of the 2025 Florida Folk Heritage Award

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -

Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced the recipient of the 2025 Florida Folk Heritage Award today. The Folk Heritage Award is given to outstanding folk artists and advocates who have made longstanding contributions to Florida's folklife and cultural resources. The 2025 award recipient is Pedro Zepeda. The award will be presented at a ceremony in conjunction with the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

"The Florida Department of State is proud to honor Pedro for his commitment to preserving and advancing the art of Seminole dugout canoes," said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. "His contributions have led to a greater appreciation and recognition of Seminole traditional arts and artists in our state."

Awardee Pedro Zepeda (Courtesy of HistoryMiami)

Pedro Zepeda

Pedro Zepeda is a master folk artist and gifted teacher specializing in a variety of traditional Seminole arts. Growing up in a traditional Seminole community, he learned many of these artforms from experienced tribal members such as his grandmother, Tahama Osceola; his brother, Brian Zepeda; and Medicine Man Ingram Billie Jr. Although Pedro has learned and mastered a variety of Seminole craft traditions, he has focused much of his career on the art of dugout canoe carving. Using only an adze and sourcing only Cypress trees that have fallen naturally, Pedro creates dugout canoes in the traditional Seminole style that have been used for transportation in Florida for centuries. He has spent decades working as a cultural advocate and educator within his community as well as the general public. In 2005, he began working as a demonstrator and educator at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, later becoming the museum's Traditional Arts Coordinator. Outside of his work at the museum, he also presents at conferences and other events across the country, educating others on various aspects of Seminole culture. Pedro's work has been featured in spaces such as the Collier County Museum, History Fort Lauderdale, and at HistoryMiami Museum. He has demonstrated at the Florida Folk Festival, the Ocmuglee Mounds National Historical Park, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and was 2019 Artist-In-Residence at HistoryMiami.

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About the Florida Folk Heritage Awards

Based on public nominations and recommendations from the Florida Folklife Council, the Secretary of State confers Florida Folk Heritage Awards annually. Awards are given to outstanding Folk Artists and Folk Culture Advocates who have made long-standing contributions to the folk cultural resources of the state. Established in 1985, the program parallels the National Heritage Fellowships and honors the state's most influential tradition bearers and folk advocates for excellence, significance and authenticity in terms of traditional arts. To make a nomination, contact Florida Folklife Program Director Dominick Tartaglia at 850.245.6482.

About the Florida Folklife Program

The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State's Division of Arts and Culture, documents and presents Florida's folklife, folklore and folk arts. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida's traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, the program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. For more information, visit flheritage.com/folklife.