482:, including traditions of performance, ritual, music, dance, knowledge, storytelling, and oral transmission. Tradition is always with us, shaping our thoughts, our behavior, our path into the future. This research group brings together thought leaders, both digitally and in person, to explore some of the critical issues facing our nation and the world. This new platform is one of the ways in which the center is working to implement a strategic plan goal of convening conversations on topics of importance. Through these connections with external networks and strategic cultural partners, best practices and challenges emerge to inform the future of cultural heritage policy and practice at the Smithsonian. As one of the "Grand Challenges" of the Smithsonian, CFCH strives to be steward and ambassador of cultural connections.
63:
documentation and other memorabilia, is traditionally considered to be museum material, the other two sections exemplify more accurately the direction CFCH is headed, with a "shift from reified and ossified discourses of 'preservation' to more dynamic and ecological models of sustainability". Instead of collecting and curating objects, both the
Festival and the Folkways units at CFCH collect, research, and produce experiences.
198:, arrived in Washington with an innovative museum concept: he challenged curators to "take the objects out of their cases and make them sing". To facilitate this, Ripley appointed James R. Morris as the Smithsonian's first Director of Museum Services. Morris had no professional museum experience. Nevertheless, he proposed to stage an outdoor festival on the
159:
intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.
349:
among others. The archive continues to grow in tandem with both the annual
Folklife Festival, and the Folkways record label; it serves as the documentation and research foundation for the activities of these other two units of the CFCH. As with all archives, the Folklife Archives is currently working
158:
Intangible
Cultural Heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This
145:
Folklore (or traditional and popular culture) is the totality of tradition-based creations of a cultural community, expressed by a group or individuals and recognized as reflecting the expectations of a community in so far as they reflect its cultural and social identity; its standards and values are
227:
10 years later, the DC Folklife
Festival had been incorporated into the festivities for the national party with activities scheduled throughout the summer. It had a seven million-dollar budget, lasted twelve weeks and involved five thousand artists from every region in the United States and from 35
62:
comprises a second team working at the center; they produce this non-profit music label with the goal of promoting and supporting the cultural diversity of sound. The third team at CFCH manages and curates the Ralph
Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. While the archive, filled with paper
397:
This is the moment when the CFCH took notice. An active research group was formed to explore and articulate this concept of cultural sustainability. How is this defined, and how is it measured? Their goal is to explore means and indicators for assessing the impacts of culture on sustainable
385:
was originally defined as encompassing three domains: environmental, economic, and social. It posited that these components must work in concert with each other to insure that current development does not impede development in the future. In 2010, a fourth component was added to this model:
322:
from around the world. It now includes an extensive collection of traditional
American music, children's music, and international music. As such, Smithsonian Folkways has become an important collection to the musical community to access and research these recordings from all over the world.
449:. How much of the culture of a region is embodied in the actual vocabulary of its language? What unique knowledge is lost when a language has lost its last native speaker? These are some of the issues investigated in this research area, which focuses specifically on the
295:. Year after year, it continues to bring musicians, artists, performers, craftspeople, workers, cooks, and storytellers into this public forum to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and aesthetics that embody the creative vitality of community-based traditions.
366:
In alignment with the mission of the
Smithsonian Institution, the Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage is actively promoting and supporting research in fields under its purview. Currently there are three main research areas actively sponsored by CFCH.
465:
and minority languages in Europe. Spotlighting these questions also brings into sharp relief the shadow side of minority language communities, which are characteristically marked by poverty, isolation, segregation, travel restrictions, and censorship.
318:, which were donated to the Smithsonian in 1989 under the unique condition that all records in the collection remain available "forever", regardless of sales. Since then, the label has expanded on Asch's vision of documenting and preserving music and
390:. This component, previously tucked in with social sustainability, was now to considered in its own right. By acknowledging culture to be independent and separate from the social development of individuals, it recognizes the power and role of
214:
to help him produce this festival for the upcoming summer 1967. Rinzler had previously worked at the
Newport Folk Festival, and brought with him both the know-how and connections needed to pull together a new DC folk festival. The first
313:
Recordings has as its stated mission to curate and provide public access to each item in their collection of folk music, spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. The record label originated as the
Folkways Records of
267:
to reflect its international interests, and in 1999 the office was renamed the Center for
Folklife & Cultural Heritage to reflect its research and public program functions. Rinzler worked at the center until his death in 1994.
206:
as a model, he wanted to exhibit and celebrate different folk traditions from across the nation. This was non-standard for the Smithsonian, and guaranteed to provoke curators accustomed to operating in orderly museum buildings.
243:
Now that the festival organization and model were well established, Rinzler began to explore other varieties of folklife productions appropriate for a national museum. He spearheaded the protracted negotiations to purchase the
46:
through research, education, and community engagement. The CFCH contains (numerically) the largest collection in the Smithsonian, but is not fully open to the public. Its budget comes primarily from grants, trust monies,
151:
140:
treaties. At a meeting in 1989, they published a "Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore". This paper defines the field as folklore and uses that term throughout its paper:
430:
works with UNESCO, ministries of culture around the world, as well as local, national, and international governments to recommend and develop policy concepts and language on cultural sustainability.
146:
transmitted orally, by imitation or by other means. Its forms are, among others, language, literature, music, dance, games, mythology, rituals, customs, handicrafts, architecture and other arts.
1340:
1055:
232:. Following the Bicentennial Festival, Morris went on to other positions in the Smithsonian complex. Rinzler continued in the Festival organization, originally as part of the Smithsonian's
401:
In the practical implementation of cultural sustainability, CFCH also manages three different projects where the theoretical finding of this research can be put to test in the field. The
398:
development, to develop best practices for bringing culture into political and social policy, and to share their findings with individuals, communities and policymakers around the world.
852:
1137:
291:
and featured ongoing performances and demonstrations of contemporary cultural traditions. It has become a national and international model of a research-based presentation of
458:
97:, also headquartered in Washington, D.C., offers support and funding to both new and established art media. As such, it overlaps with topical arts programs brought to the
827:
1297:
1060:
337:
The Archives' holdings were seeded by the business records of the Folkways Record label, which were acquired by the CFCH in 1987, and contain the business files of
332:
253:
1292:
1006:
1225:
1072:
423:, CFCH is dedicated to building the sustainability of craft traditions of individuals and groups. A third team involved in the more theoretical work on
219:, with a budget of $ 4,900 and showcasing 84 participants, took place over the Fourth of July weekend 1967 on the National Mall and on the plaza of the
1127:
1094:
1077:
996:
1266:
1022:
947:
1111:
1050:
48:
350:
to move its entire collection into digital format, thus enabling global access to the artifacts. This includes not only the artifacts which are
105:
has as one of its objectives the preservation of historic sites, partnering with CFCH in their concerns for the cultural sustainability of both
969:
903:
891:
203:
964:
820:
202:
during the summer, building on his previous career as both performer and manager in the music industry. Using the (by then) well-established
886:
220:
1082:
979:
974:
252:, including both recordings and business files. These were successfully concluded in 1987, and this collection became the core of the
1104:
720:
650:
1335:
942:
813:
874:
605:
94:
896:
857:
751:
418:
1314:
1142:
1099:
1087:
862:
282:
188:
55:
445:, this interdisciplinary research program explores relationships between language revitalization, cultural heritage, and
957:
925:
920:
479:
292:
867:
844:
633:
66:
The compound name, Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage, epitomizes an ongoing transition within the field of
17:
42:
in the United States. Its motto is "culture of, by, and for the people", and it aims to encourage understanding and
1199:
915:
224:
1132:
1065:
935:
908:
591:
524:
1246:
1170:
1152:
1045:
989:
86:
577:
1175:
836:
387:
382:
371:
43:
39:
1261:
1212:
1192:
1001:
539:
1271:
619:
446:
403:
117:
A plethora of newly minted compound concepts have been introduced into the vocabulary and discussion of
102:
1302:
1241:
1147:
984:
930:
450:
310:
304:
257:
784:
1220:
952:
90:
664:
58:
is planned and implemented annually by the Festival staff at the Folklife center. The Smithsonian
1309:
1256:
256:, a rich resource for the study of folk culture and music. The recordings were bundled into the
93:, limits its scope to American Folklife in contrast to the international scope of the CFCH. The
425:
507:
For a list of individual collections included under the umbrella of Smithsonian Folkways, see
462:
454:
378:
106:
475:
245:
195:
130:
118:
67:
59:
51:
appropriations, and gifts, with a small percentage coming from the main Smithsonian budget.
457:
languages of Europe. The charge for this inquiry was set forth in 1992 with passage of the
879:
1287:
1251:
121:
since the turn of the century. The topics and research areas that had been labeled as
1329:
1028:
692:
678:
346:
288:
211:
199:
98:
351:
71:
755:
342:
319:
1206:
355:
338:
136:
This linguistic shift can be documented more precisely in the language of the
85:
The CFCH is one of several federal institutions to have related mandates. The
187:
through a series of fortuitous and unplanned events. It began with the first
82:
that has taken place in academics and in fieldwork within the last 15 years.
171:. It is this contemporary shift that CFCH bridges in its compound title of
805:
183:
This eclectic collection of artifacts and activities came together at the
315:
249:
778:
Morris, James R. Smithsonian Impresario: A Memoir by James Morris (2011)
409:
391:
563:
137:
287:
Since 1967 the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has taken place at the
737:
706:
152:
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
498:
It is open to guest researchers and other visitors by appointment.
413:
440:
509:
809:
798:
163:
In the space of 15 years on the international playing field
537:
For a list of events sponsored by this research group, see
129:
are increasingly rebranded as topics within the purview of
101:
each summer during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The
438:
Working in collaboration with the Smithsonian initiative
522:
For specifics on research questions for this group, see
461:, which mandates protection and promotion of historical
781:
Ripley, S. Dillon. The Sacred Grove: Essays on Museums.
18:
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
54:
The center is composed of three distinct units. The
1280:
1234:
1184:
1163:
1120:
1038:
1015:
843:
459:
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
27:
Smithsonian Institution cultural center in the U.S.
1341:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.
738:"Sustaining Minority Languages in Europe (SMiLE)"
408:project is a collaboration between the people of
434:Sustaining Minority Languages in Europe (SMiLE)
333:Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
254:Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
150:By 2003, the follow-up treaty was entitled the
1293:John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
38:) is one of three cultural centers within the
821:
394:to give shape and meaning to a social group.
228:other nations. Morris and Rinzler were named
154:. Once again the subject matter was defined:
8:
1226:Smithsonian Contributions and Studies Series
185:Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage
32:Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage
828:
814:
806:
354:but also older analog forms which require
1267:Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award
693:"Ralph Rinzler Archives and Collections"
1051:Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems Program
592:"CFCH Cultural Sustainability Research"
555:
525:"CFCH Cultural Sustainability Research"
491:
194:In 1964 the new Smithsonian secretary,
107:tangible and natural cultural resources
263:In 1998, the Festival was renamed the
210:Once approved by Ripley, Morris hired
651:"First Smithsonian Folklife Festival"
540:"Intangible Cultural Heritage Events"
478:, we are blanketed with artifacts of
7:
853:African American History and Culture
620:"Smithsonian Legacy Honoree Morris"
74:form, it documents the shift from
25:
447:traditional cultural transmission
221:Museum of History and Technology
173:Folklife & Cultural Heritage
377:Introduced as a concept in the
95:National Endowment for the Arts
1138:Folklife and Cultural Heritage
785:National Folk Festival History
665:"Smithsonian Festival Mission"
564:"Smithsonian Cultural Centers"
1:
1315:U.S. National Tick Collection
1100:Museum Conservation Institute
1088:Biodiversity Heritage Library
392:cultural structures and forms
283:Smithsonian Folklife Festival
265:Smithsonian Folklife Festival
217:Festival of American Folklife
189:Festival of American Folklife
56:Smithsonian Folklife Festival
1056:Conservation and restoration
958:Archives of American Gardens
606:"UNESCO Recommendation 1989"
480:intangible cultural heritage
474:Along with the artifacts of
470:Intangible Cultural Heritage
293:intangible cultural heritage
1200:Air & Space/Smithsonian
238:Office of Folklife Programs
234:Division of Performing Arts
1357:
892:Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
679:"Folkways Records Mission"
330:
302:
280:
230:Washingtonians of the Year
510:"Folkways Records Labels"
1247:Charles Lang Freer Medal
1046:Archives of American Art
1023:National Zoological Park
634:"Smithsonian Impresario"
225:Bicentennial Celebration
87:American Folklife Center
1336:Smithsonian Institution
837:Smithsonian Institution
752:"Smithsonian Consortia"
412:, the Smithsonian, and
383:sustainable development
372:Cultural sustainability
358:for the digital world.
44:cultural sustainability
40:Smithsonian Institution
1262:National Design Awards
1083:Libraries and Archives
1078:Environmental Research
248:music collection from
204:National Folk Festival
167:has been rebranded as
161:
148:
1272:Woodrow Wilson Awards
897:Numismatic Collection
707:"Smithsonian Mission"
240:was created in 1980.
223:. By the time of the
156:
143:
103:National Park Service
60:Folkways Record label
1303:The Wilson Quarterly
1242:James Smithson Medal
1073:Conservation Biology
985:Encyclopedia of Life
948:Cooper–Hewitt Design
419:"Artisan Initiative"
311:Smithsonian Folkways
305:Smithsonian Folkways
299:Smithsonian Folkways
258:Smithsonian Folkways
1221:Smithsonian Channel
921:Arts and Industries
441:"Recovering Voices"
381:published in 1987,
91:Library of Congress
1310:Smithsonian Police
1257:Langley Gold Medal
49:federal government
1323:
1322:
1143:Folklife Festival
1112:Tropical Research
426:"cultural policy"
379:Brundtland Report
236:until a separate
169:cultural heritage
80:cultural heritage
16:(Redirected from
1348:
997:Portrait Gallery
990:Global Volcanism
887:American History
830:
823:
816:
807:
802:
801:
799:Official website
767:
766:
764:
763:
754:. Archived from
748:
742:
741:
734:
728:
727:
725:
717:
711:
710:
703:
697:
696:
689:
683:
682:
675:
669:
668:
661:
655:
654:
647:
641:
640:
638:
630:
624:
623:
616:
610:
609:
602:
596:
595:
588:
582:
581:
574:
568:
567:
560:
544:
543:
535:
529:
528:
520:
514:
513:
505:
499:
496:
476:material culture
444:
429:
422:
407:
196:S. Dillon Ripley
131:cultural studies
89:, at the nearby
68:cultural studies
21:
1356:
1355:
1351:
1350:
1349:
1347:
1346:
1345:
1326:
1325:
1324:
1319:
1276:
1230:
1180:
1159:
1116:
1034:
1011:
1007:Women's History
980:Barcode of Life
975:Natural History
904:American Indian
880:Renwick Gallery
839:
834:
797:
796:
793:
775:
773:Further reading
770:
761:
759:
750:
749:
745:
736:
735:
731:
723:
721:"Fourth Pillar"
719:
718:
714:
705:
704:
700:
691:
690:
686:
677:
676:
672:
663:
662:
658:
649:
648:
644:
636:
632:
631:
627:
618:
617:
613:
604:
603:
599:
590:
589:
585:
576:
575:
571:
562:
561:
557:
553:
548:
547:
538:
536:
532:
523:
521:
517:
508:
506:
502:
497:
493:
488:
472:
439:
436:
424:
417:
402:
375:
364:
335:
329:
307:
301:
285:
279:
274:
181:
115:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1354:
1352:
1344:
1343:
1338:
1328:
1327:
1321:
1320:
1318:
1317:
1312:
1307:
1295:
1290:
1288:James Smithson
1284:
1282:
1278:
1277:
1275:
1274:
1269:
1264:
1259:
1254:
1252:Hodgkins Medal
1249:
1244:
1238:
1236:
1232:
1231:
1229:
1228:
1223:
1218:
1210:
1203:
1196:
1188:
1186:
1182:
1181:
1179:
1178:
1173:
1167:
1165:
1161:
1160:
1158:
1157:
1156:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1135:
1130:
1124:
1122:
1118:
1117:
1115:
1114:
1109:
1108:
1107:
1105:Migratory Bird
1097:
1095:Marine Station
1092:
1091:
1090:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1069:
1068:
1058:
1053:
1048:
1042:
1040:
1036:
1035:
1033:
1032:
1025:
1019:
1017:
1013:
1012:
1010:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
993:
992:
987:
982:
972:
967:
962:
961:
960:
950:
945:
940:
939:
938:
933:
923:
918:
913:
912:
911:
901:
900:
899:
894:
884:
883:
882:
872:
871:
870:
860:
855:
849:
847:
841:
840:
835:
833:
832:
825:
818:
810:
804:
803:
792:
791:External links
789:
788:
787:
782:
779:
774:
771:
769:
768:
743:
729:
712:
698:
684:
670:
656:
642:
625:
611:
597:
583:
578:"CFCH Mission"
569:
554:
552:
549:
546:
545:
530:
515:
500:
490:
489:
487:
484:
471:
468:
435:
432:
374:
369:
363:
360:
331:Main article:
328:
325:
303:Main article:
300:
297:
281:Main article:
278:
275:
273:
270:
180:
177:
114:
111:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1353:
1342:
1339:
1337:
1334:
1333:
1331:
1316:
1313:
1311:
1308:
1305:
1304:
1299:
1298:Wilson Center
1296:
1294:
1291:
1289:
1286:
1285:
1283:
1279:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1265:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1253:
1250:
1248:
1245:
1243:
1240:
1239:
1237:
1233:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1215:
1211:
1209:
1208:
1204:
1202:
1201:
1197:
1195:
1194:
1190:
1189:
1187:
1183:
1177:
1176:Ripley Center
1174:
1172:
1169:
1168:
1166:
1162:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1141:
1140:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1128:Asian Pacific
1126:
1125:
1123:
1119:
1113:
1110:
1106:
1103:
1102:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1089:
1086:
1085:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1067:
1064:
1063:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1043:
1041:
1037:
1031:
1030:
1029:Uncle Beazley
1026:
1024:
1021:
1020:
1018:
1014:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
991:
988:
986:
983:
981:
978:
977:
976:
973:
971:
968:
966:
963:
959:
956:
955:
954:
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
937:
934:
932:
929:
928:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
910:
907:
906:
905:
902:
898:
895:
893:
890:
889:
888:
885:
881:
878:
877:
876:
873:
869:
866:
865:
864:
863:Air and Space
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
850:
848:
846:
842:
838:
831:
826:
824:
819:
817:
812:
811:
808:
800:
795:
794:
790:
786:
783:
780:
777:
776:
772:
758:on 2017-07-07
757:
753:
747:
744:
739:
733:
730:
722:
716:
713:
708:
702:
699:
694:
688:
685:
680:
674:
671:
666:
660:
657:
652:
646:
643:
635:
629:
626:
621:
615:
612:
607:
601:
598:
593:
587:
584:
579:
573:
570:
565:
559:
556:
550:
541:
534:
531:
526:
519:
516:
511:
504:
501:
495:
492:
485:
483:
481:
477:
469:
467:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
442:
433:
431:
427:
420:
415:
411:
405:
399:
395:
393:
389:
384:
380:
373:
370:
368:
361:
359:
357:
353:
348:
347:Woody Guthrie
344:
340:
334:
326:
324:
321:
317:
312:
306:
298:
296:
294:
290:
289:National Mall
284:
276:
271:
269:
266:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
241:
239:
235:
231:
226:
222:
218:
213:
212:Ralph Rinzler
208:
205:
201:
200:National Mall
197:
192:
190:
186:
178:
176:
174:
170:
166:
160:
155:
153:
147:
142:
139:
134:
132:
128:
124:
120:
112:
110:
108:
104:
100:
99:National Mall
96:
92:
88:
83:
81:
77:
73:
69:
64:
61:
57:
52:
50:
45:
41:
37:
33:
19:
1301:
1213:
1205:
1198:
1193:American Art
1191:
1171:Affiliations
1153:Global Sound
1061:Astrophysics
1027:
875:American Art
760:. Retrieved
756:the original
746:
732:
715:
701:
687:
673:
659:
645:
628:
614:
600:
586:
572:
558:
533:
518:
503:
494:
473:
437:
404:"My Armenia"
400:
396:
376:
365:
356:reformatting
352:born-digital
336:
308:
286:
264:
262:
242:
237:
233:
229:
216:
209:
193:
184:
182:
172:
168:
164:
162:
157:
149:
144:
135:
126:
122:
116:
84:
79:
75:
72:concatenated
65:
53:
35:
31:
29:
1214:Smithsonian
909:Heye Center
858:African Art
455:minoritized
416:. In their
343:Pete Seeger
320:soundscapes
113:Terminology
1330:Categories
1207:STEM in 30
868:Udvar–Hazy
762:2017-06-29
451:indigenous
339:Lead Belly
272:Production
1164:Education
965:Hirshhorn
926:Asian Art
916:Anacostia
551:Footnotes
191:in 1967.
1216:magazine
1148:Folkways
1121:Cultural
1039:Research
463:regional
362:Research
327:Archives
316:Moe Asch
277:Festival
250:Moe Asch
246:Folkways
165:folklore
127:folklife
123:folklore
76:folklore
1066:Chandra
953:Gardens
936:Sackler
845:Museums
410:Armenia
388:culture
260:label.
179:History
119:culture
1235:Awards
1133:Latino
1002:Postal
970:Latino
943:Castle
345:, and
138:UNESCO
1281:Other
1185:Media
931:Freer
724:(PDF)
637:(PDF)
486:Notes
414:USAID
70:. In
309:The
125:and
36:CFCH
30:The
1016:Zoo
453:or
78:to
1332::
341:,
175:.
133:.
109:.
1306:)
1300:(
829:e
822:t
815:v
765:.
740:.
726:.
709:.
695:.
681:.
667:.
653:.
639:.
622:.
608:.
594:.
580:.
566:.
542:.
527:.
512:.
443:.
428:.
421:.
406:.
34:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.