With a generous bequest from late audio engineer and longtime supporter Mike Rivers, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has established its first-ever endowment, building a strong foundation for its continual work supporting and preserving “people’s music.” As an engineer, Rivers recorded numerous festivals, including our Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and captured performances from iconic Folkways artists such as Hazel Dickens, Joe Glazer, and John Jackson. He was an avid musician himself and a founding member of the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. Learn more about Rivers and his lasting legacy for Folkways in Folklife News & Events: https://s.si.edu/47WS9e7 📷: Mike Rivers (seated, playing guitar) at a Smithsonian Folklife Festival jam session in 1974. Photo by Reed and Susan Erskine, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
Washington, District of Columbia 2,583 followers
About us
We promote greater understanding and sustainability of cultural heritage across the United States and around the world through research, education, and community engagement.
- Website
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https://folklife.si.edu
External link for Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
- Industry
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Headquarters
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Type
- Nonprofit
Locations
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Primary
600 Maryland Ave SW
Suite 2001
Washington, District of Columbia 20024, US
Employees at Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
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Rohit Agarwal
Chief Product and Revenue Officer at SoundCloud
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Sojin Kim
Curator, writer—experience with exhibitions, public programs, media/digital, community engagement/collaboration
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Kathy Phung
Freelance Writer and Culinary Admin Consultant
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Claudia Foronda
Program Manager for Mother Tongue Film Festival
Updates
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📣 Job alert! We are seeking a financial management specialist to join the administrative staff at the Center. This staff member will initiate personnel action requests, prepare justifications and other documents to support budget requests, initiate contracts and purchase orders, and create budget reports, among other duties. This is a permanent, full-time GS 11–12 position based in Washington, D.C. Applications are due October 15. See the full job description and instructions to apply: https://s.si.edu/4dswzzr 📷: “Smithsonian Sun” (2015) by Jang Ludmir Araujo Ayala. Photo by Zvonimir Bebek, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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Across the country, communities are harnessing local resources—people, land, intergenerational knowledge—to secure a nutritious, sustainable future for us all. How are traditional practices and heritage ingredients furthering these goals? What role do they play in solving seemingly intractable problems such as hunger and food insecurity, and what can communities learn from one another to achieve local objectives? This Friday, September 27, from noon to 1 p.m., join us for a timely conversation with innovative leaders in the field at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public, and ASL interpretation is provided. This program is produced by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in association with the Smithsonian Institution Office of Government Relations. It marks the second anniversary of The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Special thanks to the staff at the National Museum of the American Indian for their assistance with this program.
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In 2026, the Smithsonian is planning a robust, engaging slate of activities to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial: 250 years of independence. Our Center will produce the institution’s cornerstone public programming, including an extended Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall. In preparation, we have appointed humanitarian Heidi Kuhn, founder and CEO of Roots of Peace, as chair of our U.S. 250 Council. Through this role, she will champion our endeavors to increase civic participation, intercultural understanding, and cross-generational connection through culture, art, and science. Read more in Folklife News & Events: https://s.si.edu/3Xw7xcB
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In April, Smithsonian staff and supporters gathered for the first-ever Friends of Folkways event at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Over brunch, attendees shared their personal connections to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and found common ground in their love of traditional music. They also enjoyed a concert featuring Folkways artist Dom Flemons, as well as Sharde Thomas and the Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band. Friends of Folkways is a membership program that allows listeners to support the label’s work on an ongoing basis. One of few nonprofit labels in operation today, Smithsonian Folkways houses over 4,000 albums from around the world in its catalog, which the label is dedicated to keeping continually in print. Read more about the gathering in Folklife News & Events, and become a Friend of Folkways to secure your invitation to future events: https://lnkd.in/gGZrAmME
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Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! We invite educators and lifelong learners to explore resources about American Latino cultures at hispanicheritagemonth.gov. This portal is updated every year with materials from the Library of Congress, National Archives, Smithsonian, and other organizations. Among contributions from Smithsonian Folklife, you’ll find articles, videos, and online exhibitions. Photo by Grace Bowie, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives #SmithsonianHHM
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During Smithsonian Education’s National Education Summit in July, our staff shared a few educational resources that incorporate inclusive storytelling methods: 1) Masters of Tradition, an online, interactive story map that highlights the lives and work of NEA National Heritage Fellows, showing the rich cultural diversity of the United States. (s.si.edu/storymap) 2) The new Music Pathways from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, a free, online multidisciplinary resource that contextualizes complex histories through songs that those histories inspired. (folkways.si.edu/learn) 3) The upcoming “Looking Forward: Youth and the Future of Culture” program at the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which is already involving young people in the curation of content. Read more about the summit in Folklife News & Events: https://s.si.edu/3B400KI
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We may not be a museum, but over nearly six decades of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, we have assembled an unmatched collection of art and craft created on the National Mall. Today, we are excited to share our collection with you! “Storied Objects” is a new, ever-growing online exhibition highlighting 80+ pieces that occupy the shelves and walls of our office. The stories tied to these objects are often personal—about how and why a cultural practice remains important to its maker. The objects often bear imprints of the Festival—experiences in D.C., views of the monuments, and interactions with visitors. Start exploring: s.si.edu/StoriedObjects
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This month, we welcome Joe Kapp as the new chair of our advisory council. With a background in entrepreneurship and the technology industry, and experience as president and cofounder of National Center for Resource Development - NCRD, he will support council members and our efforts to strengthen cultural heritage around the world. Read the full announcement: https://s.si.edu/46UQnK4
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Thanks to Destination DC for naming the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival a "can't-miss summer event in Washington, D.C."! Still need convincing? Read their reasons to check out our "Indigenous Voices of the Americas" program, June 26–July 1 on the National Mall and inside the National Museum of the American Indian: s.si.edu/3VFNeK4
Reasons to Check Out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC | Washington DC
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