As a musician and advocate, Gretchen Gonzales Davidson embraces the complex relationships between music, culture, and community. Based in Detroit, she is the chair of the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, which supports arts and culture throughout the state as a funding resource and connector.

She is a musician herself, playing in numerous groups specializing in a distinctly Midwest style of avant-garde and noise music, including collaborations with members of Wolf Eyes and His Name Is Alive. Davidson has described the music she makes as “sound sculptures,” using sound in unconventional ways to reflect her experience of the world.

Davidson, who also serves on the National Council on the Arts, recently joined the advisory council for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where she will bring this experience to bear on the work of the Center as it prepares for its role in celebrating 250 years of the United States in 2026.

How does your work as a musician and your own current artistic practice inform your arts advocacy?

It helps keep me connected to what’s happening today. I collaborate with lots of friends, and I see firsthand the need for more arts support. Too many artists need other jobs to make ends meet. For all of the art that is consumed by everybody, everywhere, every day, it’s a shame that art is often undervalued. On any board or arts council I sit on, I put advocacy at the top of my priorities. I try to help create partnerships and connections between artists, organizations, and resources so programming can be most impactful.

What are some of your proudest moments advocating for art and artists in Michigan?

A very proud moment was changing the name/acronym of the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. It was my first agenda item as chair of the council because the previous acronym was embarrassing and inadvertently offensive. I’m somewhat new to the policy world, so I’m learning as I go. I thought it would be quick and easy. I didn’t know what would be involved to make the change or how many parties I’d have to involve. In the end, it took over a year to change the name, including an executive order by the governor. It just shows you how slow the wheels of government turn, but now I don’t cringe when people say our name.

Another proud accomplishment: we helped get Michigan’s first poet laureate since the 1950s. Only one other poet held the position from 1952–1959, which made us one of four states in the country without one. We’re thrilled for this upgrade!

I’m lucky to sit at the intersection of artists and policymakers. This gives me a unique opportunity to connect people and foster relationships around the arts. Recently, I had the opportunity to introduce Detroit’s Mayor Duggan to the National Endowment for the Arts program Mayors’ Institute on City Design. He then hosted the program in Detroit this past July. The sessions are collaborative workshops that allow mayors to engage with design leaders to find solutions to the planning and design challenges facing their cities. You never know where connections like this could lead.

What excites you most about the work the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is doing right now?

With everything that polarizes us, I like to think that cultural events can help bring us together. I’m looking forward to the Nation’s 250th Folklife Festival in 2026 because I believe folk festivals, big and small, open our eyes to other ways of living. The “Festival of Festivals” is coming together bit by bit. We have many subcommittees, and the council members are encouraged to join any that fit our expertise or interest.

I’m part of a group that’s looking for new American anthems. We’re exploring contemporary anthems—not to replace “The Star-Spangled Banner” but to capture new ideas of what America looks like today. Everything from classical to Americana, rock to soul, we’re casting a wide net. I’m excited to see how these different styles will come together and tell America’s story in new ways. The idea is to celebrate our shared cultural heritage while building bridges between different musical genres and communities.

Having just returned from Puerto Rico, I loved that it didn’t matter what neighborhood you lived in—everyone came together for culture, music, and dance. Literally everyone danced in the streets!

Do you have any favorite recordings on Smithsonian Folkways?

So many! I’ve always been amazed at the variety of recordings documented by Folkways. Some odd standouts include the sounds of whales, mating tortoises, office environments... and everyone’s favorite: the sound of an enlarged human heart. So weird, but so great. The Anthology of American Folk Music compiled by Harry Smith is another favorite. And all the many incredible field recordings, especially the Mack McCormick collection that Folkways acquired.

There’s so much! I love Folkways’ mission of capturing the most far-out, strangest sounds while also documenting incredible music so it can last forever.

Why is it important to support, document, and present traditional arts for the public?

We need to keep stories alive. The documentation of traditional arts needs to be done now, while the stories are being told, while elders are still with us and languages are still spoken. Think about how many languages, cultures, and traditions we’ve already lost. We don’t want future generations to lose these lifelines to our past. By supporting these art forms, we can strengthen community bonds and nurture cross-cultural understanding—not to mention the economic opportunities it may create for artisans.

What does it mean to make the arts accessible to the public, including in educational settings? How should organizations like ours be thinking about accessibility when it comes to this work?

Arts and culture are essential in making a healthy community. When I think about accessibility of the arts, I think about removing barriers that might prevent people from engaging with art forms—like offering diverse programming, physical accessibility, and affordable or free attendance options. We want spaces that are inclusive where everyone feels welcome.

Another barrier is insufficient communication: getting the information out to the world. The more people know about what is going on, the more they can be involved. There are opportunities to expand that communication in education by integrating arts into curricula. Students should have access to creative expression and hands-on experiences for a more well-rounded education. This will set them up for success in their career path, as the arts intersect with every industry. I’m always working toward arts and culture becoming more of a kitchen-table topic.

One of the things that I find most interesting about your career is this confluence of public arts advocacy and underground, non-mainstream music and culture. What throughlines do you see between these aspects of your work?

Music for the masses tends to have a radically different feel and meaning. The music I play is a reaction to the world around me. It may not be for mainstream audiences, but we’ve found a community of people with whom we connect. We need all kinds of spaces for artists to be artists. Underground music is no less important than the mainstream. Our civil society will only be at its best if we have different kinds of artists sharing their art, uplifting our reality, and helping shine a light on our world.

Jonathan Williger is the communications manager at Smithsonian Folkways and a freelance music journalist whose work has been published in the Washington Post, NPR, Pitchfork, Bandcamp Daily, and more. This interview was edited for length and clarity.