Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/blog/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/RSS feed for Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural HeritageenFri, 21 Aug 2026 17:10:39 +0000These Photos Visualize the Legacy of Peter Spencer, Founder of America’s First Independent Black Churchhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/21/peter-spencer-black-church/The church was home to the August Quarterly Festival, still running 212 years later and collaborating this year with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival to honor the nation’s 250th anniversary.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:10:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/21/peter-spencer-black-church/Through ‘By the People,’ the Smithsonian and Humanities Councils Unite to Explore 250 Years of the United States’ Cultural Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/10/by-the-people-humanities-councils/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.Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/10/by-the-people-humanities-councils/At the Smithsonian’s Almaty Artisan Retreat, Kazakhstani and Native American Artists Connect through Stories, Copper, and Clayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/04/almaty-artisan-retreat/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.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:18:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/04/almaty-artisan-retreat/At the Global Concert of Colors, Detroit and Its Unifying Voice Take a Bowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/07/15/concert-of-colors-detroit/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!"Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:03:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/07/15/concert-of-colors-detroit/With Birchbark and Breath, Sierra and Hawk Henries Bring Intergenerational Artistry to the ‘Dawnland’https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/07/08/sierra-hawk-henries-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.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:31:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/07/08/sierra-hawk-henries-dawnland/The Smithsonian Has 6,724 Staff Members With a Mission to Increase and Diffuse Knowledge. Hear How They Work ‘For the Common Good’https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/06/30/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.Tue, 30 Jun 2026 21:20:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/06/30/for-the-common-good/