New Hampshire and the legacy of the 1999 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

3. The Festival is a major activity of the Smithsonian—
its “museum without walls.”
 Festival Origin
Take the instruments out of their cases and let them
sing! —S. Dillon Ripley, Smithsonian Secretary, 1967
 Festival Purpose
The Festival is a means of conserving and promoting a
living cultural heritage.
—Ralph Rinzler, Festival Founding Director, 1968

4.  An educational
“exhibition” of living
cultural heritage
 Based upon research
and collaboration
 Held outdoors on the
National Mall in
Washington, D.C.
 Held every summer for
10 days overlapping the
Fourth of July
 Free to the public
 Hundreds of thousands
of U.S. and
international visitors

5. Folklife Festival Site

6.  Promotes the understanding and continuity of diverse,
contemporary, grassroots cultural traditions in the
United States and throughout the world
 Works collaboratively with exemplary artists, cultural
communities, scholars, leaders, and various sectors of
society
 Demonstrates the importance of respect for cultural
heritage

7.  At the Festival, each
program has its own
space—about 2 or 3
“football fields” and
themes
 Artists, musicians, and
culture bearers
perform, cook,
demonstrate, narrate,
and illustrate

8.  2015 Perú
 2014 China, Kenya
 2013 Hungary, Endangered Languages, The Will to Adorn
 2012 Citified, Campus and Community, Creativity and Crisis
 2011 Colombia, Peace Corps, Rhythm & Blues Music
 2010 México, Asian Pacific Americans, Smithsonian Inside Out
 2009 Giving Voice, Las Américas, Wales
 2008 Bhutan, NASA, Texas
 2007 Northern Ireland, Mekong River Region, Roots of Virginia
 2006 Alberta, Latino Chicago, Native Basketry, New Orleans Music
 2005 Oman, Forest Service, Food Culture USA, Latino Music
 2004 Haiti, Latino Music, Mid-Atlantic Maritime
 2003 Mali, Scotland, Appalachia
 2002 Silk Road [28 nations]
 2001 Bermuda, New York City, Building Arts
 2000 Tibetan Culture, Washington, D.C., El Rio
 1999 South Africa, New Hampshire, Romania
 1998 Philippines, Baltic Nations, Wisconsin
 1997 Mississippi Delta, Sacred Music, African Immigrants
Festival Programs, 1997-2015

9.  Took place over course of two years
 Efforts of over 25 folklorists and researchers
 Travelled for 10 months across state
 Research now held in New Hampshire State
Council on the Arts

10.  140 performers, traditional craftsmen, and
occupational specialists
 60-70 additional participants on special event
days: Old Home Day and Franco-American
Heritage Day

11.  Themes:
 “Diversity in Music”
 “Home, Town, and Community”
 “Ingenuity and Enterprise”
 “Seasonal Work and Recreation”
 “Farm, Forest, Mountain, and Sea”
 Six venues:
 Town Hall Music Stage
 Front Porch Stage
 New Hampshire Kitchen
 Summer Camp
 Mill Stage
 Political Traditions
 Agricultural Arena

14.  “Bringing Folklife into the Classroom”
 Co-sponsored by Smithsonian Office of Education
 30 Celebrate New Hampshire Fellows (educators from NH)
 Conducted “living research” with Festival participants from New
Hampshire
 Three days in-service training on how to research living traditions
 Observed, interacted with, and documented Festival participants
 Share training in home state both online and in-service workshops
 Partnered with University of New Hampshire’s New England
Folklife Institute, New Hampshire Public Television, and New
Hampshire State Council on the Arts

15. Folkways Recording

16. Post-Festival
Maintained strong
professional and
personal relationship
with Lynn Martin
following the festival

17.  Five days on Hopkinton
state fairgrounds
 35,000 attended
 10,000 students in
grades K-12 attended
in first three days
 Largest celebration of
New Hampshire culture
in state
 Added two themes:
 “Celebrate Our History”
 “Partnerships for
Community Service”

22.  Built Website using research for and from SFF
 Compiled and maintained lists of artists in New
Hampshire for classrooms and other
programming, based on research
This list helped build educational programs and a
robust Apprenticeship program, both of which have
been sustained over the years

23. http://www.nh.gov/folklife/
 Explore the state’s living heritage
 Easy access to artist information,
apprenticeship grants
 Blogs featuring new projects

25. Educational
Programs
On Website:
Learning
Activities,
Essays,
Teaching Artist
list

27.  Teaching artists work
in schools throughout
New Hampshire
 Demonstrations and
performances on
traditional knowledge
and skills
 Experiential learning for
children
 Support traditional
school curriculum
Alice Ogden, traditional black
ash basket maker, working with
5th and 6th grade students at
Madison Elementary School in
Madison, NH.

30.  Lynn Martin
 Coordinator during
the 1999 Folklife
Festival
 Help cement New
Hampshire’s artistic
and cultural
landscape
 Later became Acting
Director at NH State
Council of the Arts,
now retired

31.  Julianne Morse
 Current Coordinator
 Expanding upon
programs initiated
during the Festival
 Oversees grants,
fieldwork, research,
special initiatives, and
professional
development

35.  Evaluation/Reflection Journals
 Improved presentation
 New ideas
“What I found important was how these conversations
with artists, advocates, and citizens enhanced the
demonstrations and performances at the festival.
Inspired by my experience at the Folklife Festival, I
began executing a plan to bring panel discussion to the
Canterbury Artisan Festival…. I also gained a
deepened appreciation for use of text panels in adding
depth and context to demonstrations, particularly with
language barriers, and joining parts of the exhibit into a
whole overarching theme.” –participant in Sharing Our
Heritage professional development workshop series.

41. www.facebook.com/smithsonianfolklifefestival