Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

Backshot of two men work together to pin blueprints of a building design to a corkboard wall.

In Charleston, American College of the Building Arts Educates the Next Generation of Craftspeople

Synthesizing liberal arts education with hands-on experience in architectural trades, ACBA strives to encourage the preservation, enrichment, and understanding of global architectural heritage.

Two people ride on horseback along a dirt road lined by yellowing tall grass. In front of them are a dog and dozens of cattle.

The Community of Families in Western Craft Traditions of Idaho

The Idaho gearmaking community, though geographically dispersed, is tightly knit through multigenerational family ties, mentorships, and shared cultural traditions rooted in ranching and craftsmanship. At the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, multiply families will share the skills and stories behind their work.

A pop-up museum display, featuring a tower of several “bricks” stacked like Jenga pieces. Each brick has writing on it: Fomo, body image, masculine marketing, pick-me girls, female sexuality, gender roles, a mother’s influence.

'Hey, You Kids, Get on Our Lawn!' Your Invitation to a Totally Teen Summer

During the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Museum of Contemporary American Teenager is teaming up with American University to bring the definitive celebration, exploration, and exposition of American teens!

In a crystal dish, beside a plate of pancakes, butter formed in the shape of a lamb with a red ribbon around its neck, red flag sticking out from its back, and a black peppercorn for an eye.

Behold the Butter Lamb of God: A Polish Catholic Easter Tradition Beloved in Buffalo, New York

A butter lamb has taken center stage on my family’s Easter table for as long as I can remember.

A woman with long dark hair and dark outfit plays a white electric guitar on a dimly blue lit stage. She and her guitar are slightly blurry.

A Q&A With Musician Gretchen Gonzales Davidson on Arts and Advocacy

“For all of the art that is consumed by everybody, everywhere, every day, it’s a shame that art is often undervalued”

Hilly green farmland with sheep grazing in the foreground and a few farm houses in the distance. Low gray clouds descend on the hills.

'Hardwired for Folktales': An Evolution of Storytelling in Ireland

The perseverance of the Irish people in maintaining their language, history and values created a world of oral tradition filled with both mythical adventures and practical wisdom

From behind, a woman holds up a flag in front of a memorial monument with a central flame. Her brown hair is braided with a purple butterfly barrette, and she wears white regalia with silver sequins and ribbons across the shoulders.

Native American Women Warriors Protect Culture, Community and the Future

For many, this coexistence of American patriotism and Indigenous pride may seem contradictory

Three men, two holding acoustic guitars, pose in front of a festival tent.

A Life in Folklore: Frank Proschan’s Community Work and New Internship Endowment

After fifty years in culture work, Proschan has gifted his research as a folklorist and anthropologist to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections.

Wooden shelves and counter filled with jars are lit by two oil lamps.

In Appalachia, Women Carry Traditions in Folk Magic and 'Granny Witchcraft'

Folk magic goes by many names in the Appalachian Mountains: root work, granny magic, kitchen witchery, Braucherei, witchcraft

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