The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research center of the Smithsonian Institution. We work with communities in the United States and around the world to encourage the understanding, appreciation, and vitality of humanity’s diverse living cultural heritage.
Folklife Festival
Every summer since 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival brings together artisans, musicians, cooks, and storytellers from around the world on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The 2024 Festival, June 26–July 1, presented Indigenous Voices of the Americas.
Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the institution’s nonprofit record label, representing the collections and productions of nearly two dozen companies and organizations, documenting the diversity of the world’s musical and spoken-word heritage and creativity.
New Releases
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Pieces of HomeDan + Claudia Zanes -
Wanderers Like MeThe Po’ Ramblin’ Boys -
Sweet Ella JenkinsMr. Greg -
The Complete Friends of Old Time Music ConcertBessie Jones, John Davis, and the Georgia Sea Island Singers with Mississippi Fred McDowell and Ed Young -
You’ve Been a Friend to MeSonya Cohen Cramer -
Cultural Vitality
The Cultural Vitality Program works collaboratively with communities around the world to support the sustainability of homegrown forms of cultural and artistic production, especially in the areas of language, Indigenous culture, and craft.
Featured Initiatives
Rinzler Archives
As a public resource, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is home to hundreds of thousands of videos, films, photographs, sound recordings, and field reports that document cultural traditions, maintained with a commitment to digital accessibility and shared stewardship.
Research
Our research is grounded in a community-oriented approach, shaping the rich programming of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Mother Tongue Film Festival, the releases of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and our Cultural Sustainability initiatives. Our curators and scholars, drawn from folklore, anthropology, ethnomusicology, and a broad range of cultural studies, are distinguished in their practice of collaborative research and representation.
Educational Resources
Over decades of research and production, we have created educational materials for cultural professionals, educators, and casual learners, including lessons plans, documentation handbooks, learning guides, and online exhibitions.
Folklife Magazine
Folklife Magazine explores how culture shapes our lives. We publish stories about music, food, craft, language, celebrations, activism, and the individuals and communities who sustain these traditions.
News & Events
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October 22, 2024Smithsonian Receives $40 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment -
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September 19, 2024Center Names Humanitarian Heidi Kühn as Chair of Its U.S. 250 Council -
September 18, 2024Friends of Folkways Gather at the Getty
