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Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

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.

Turquoise mural covering the entire side of a building, with a pattern of waves along the bottom, and a brown textile with the Spanish words Viva la Vida! in the center.

In the First City Named for George Washington, a North Carolina Community Celebrates Its Latino Heritage

Washington’s stunning new “Viva la Vida” mural follows a multiyear initiative, working with local leaders and the Latino community, to create a more inclusive, welcoming city through the arts

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.

A group of people crouch and stand in front of a wall mural depicting desert plants.

A Catalyst for Culture in the Tucson Mall

Over a dozen artists from the sister cities of Tucson, Arizona, and Almaty, Kazakhstan, assembled for a cultural exchange in July 2025.

A vibrant parade on the National Mall with participants in colorful costumes, carrying flags and banners, in front of the United States Capitol building. Text is overlaid on the image that reads: Culture Of, By, and For the People

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Goes National for the United States’ 250th Anniversary

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the Smithsonian is taking its oldest and largest public event—the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival—on the road to communities across the country and three U.S. territories.

In the courtyard of a wooden home with tiled roof and carved doorways, strings of orange persimmons hang from a bamboo pole hung along an eave.

Our Director Reflects on “Culture of Everyday Life” and K-Culture after Visiting South Korea

What we call “folklife” in the United States—the traditions, activities, skills, beliefs, and tangible creations of a particular community—is known as the “culture of everyday life” in South Korea. But there are other differences in how we understand these concepts.

In a warmly lit room, a woman in a floral dress tells a story, both hands outstretched, for a small seated audience that watches her and smiles.

Top Five Folklife Stories of 2025

#ICYMI, here are the most-read articles from the Center’s online magazine this year.

Film still of an elder woman and a young man, both in wheelchairs, facing each other in conversation and smiling in a warmly lit living room. A man sits to the side, next to a laptop, also smiling.

A Glimpse at 'The Ride Ahead' and a More Inclusive Future With Filmmaker Samuel Habib

“Disabled people should have their voices heard, and we should be able to tell our own stories,” Habib says

A man wearing glasses, white headwrap, and apron holds a metal object to a flame in a forge, sparks flying toward the stone walls.

The Reappearing Art of Metalworking in Mukhrani, Georgia

In Georgian mythology, the blacksmith is often portrayed as a magical figure endowed with superhuman strength—sometimes even as a semi-divine being.

Map of North America with several points across the continent marked with a blue pinpoint.

Explore Native American Films in the Mother Tongue Story Map

Through documentaries and dramas, animations and music videos, this collection highlights the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Americas.

A woman in a yellow dress and long braids skateboarding on a half-pipe

On International Day of Indigenous Women, Meet Native Women Skaters Making Space in the Sport

This is how Imilla Skate celebrates skateboarding’s Indigenous past and present.

Close-up on a pair of hands removing multicolored dried corn kernels into a woven basket.

The Journey of Myaamia Native Corn to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (A Photo Essay)

The journey of myaamia miincipi reflects the journey of the Myaamia people, who have been working tirelessly to reclaim their language and culture.

Timelapse photo of a bright pink night sky with the trails of stars creating concentric white circles. Tops of trees are lit up yellow at the bottom of the photo.

Finding Hope in Sidewalk Astronomy, From a Neighborhood Near You to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

During the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, sidewalk astronomers brought a sense of hope into Washington, D.C.

A collection of twelve custom-made, metallic signs is displayed against a dark background. The signs are arranged in three rows of four. The signs are a mix of gold and silver colors with various fonts and designs.

Indonesian Artists of SWEDA Build a Brand—with a Silver Lining

These jewelry artists came all the way from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to Washington, D.C., to share the traditions and innovations of their silversmithing practice at the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

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