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Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

A person dances, turquoise and brown skirt flying and twisting around them, with a drummer and singer performing on the sides.

Through ‘By the People,’ the Smithsonian and Humanities Councils Unite to Explore 250 Years of the United States’ Cultural Life

How does one discuss, understand, and commemorate the history of the United States? If you apply that question to every state and territory, the answer cannot be confined by dates and retellings.

Several pieces of textiles, pottery, and other artwork arranged in an altar.

At the Smithsonian’s Almaty Artisan Retreat, Kazakhstani and Native American Artists Connect through Stories, Copper, and Clay

For five days in April, artists from opposite sides of the globe met to reflect on their creative practices, learn from each other, and imagine the future of their craft.

A man on a stage plays a guitar.

At the Global Concert of Colors, Detroit and Its Unifying Voice Take a Bow

The city of Detroit, Michigan, is known as the birthplace of techno music, the hometown of Motown Records, and a haven of resilience. But every July, it earns one more claim to fame: the stage and heartbeat of the Concert of Colors, a collaborator in "Of The People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals!"

A man with short white hair, moustache, and glasses plays a wooden flute. Behind him, slightly out of focus, is a young woman with long dark hair in a bun and a black tank top.

With Birchbark and Breath, Sierra and Hawk Henries Bring Intergenerational Artistry to the ‘Dawnland’

The Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas in Bar Harbor, Maine, uplifts Wabanaki and Northeastern Native thought leadership and artistry with panel discussions, performances, and a thriving artists’ market.

Thousands of people assemble on the green grass of the National Mall to form a sunburst shape, the Smithsonian logo. The red-brick Smithsonian Castle rises in the background.

The Smithsonian Has 6,724 Staff Members With a Mission to Increase and Diffuse Knowledge. Hear How They Work ‘For the Common Good’

With astrophysicists and wildlife ecologists, art conservators and security officers, this discussion series invites visitors to go behind the scenes with experts across the institution.

Two men in blue shirts, blue jeans, leather belts, and white cowboy hats pose in front of a brown horse.

In Eastern Idaho, the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo Celebrates Cowboys, Craftsmanship, and Community

Unlike regular rodeos, ranch rodeos are generally more family-friendly and focus on showcasing ranch-related events and hand skills, teamwork, and horsemanship.

Detail of album cover with black print of a warrior figure in profile wearing a feathered crown and armor.

A Journey to Right the Wrongs on Smithsonian’s ‘Anthology of Central and South American Indian Music’

In 1975, Alan Lazar compiled the anthology for Folkways Records. In the last year, Smithsonian Folkways staff found and corrected several errors in culture-group terminology, track information, and sequencing.

Portrait-Roen-Kahalewai-Hufford-2023-wkapa-adjhires.jpg

For Hawaiian Artist Roen Hufford, Making Kapa Bark Cloth Embodies an Exchange with Nature and a Way of Life

Participating in events like the Living Traditions Festival, this week in Salt Lake City, is an opportunity for Roen Hufford to honor her commitment to preserving a once at-risk art form.

Six elder Black women pose on a grassy hillside, each holding an enlarged black-and-white photo of a schoolhouse, protestors with signs, and a class photo.

The Mothers Who Marched for Equality in Hillsboro, Ohio

In May 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated schooling was illegal. That didn’t mean that schools changes overnight—or without a fight.

The face of a smiling young woman with face paint wearing beaded earrings against a colorful backdrop. Text: Mother Tongue Film Festival. February 19 to 22, Washington, D.C. 2026.

Your Invitation to the Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival

27 languages, 25 films, 14 regions, 1 festival.

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