Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
The Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage (CFCH) is one of three cultural centers within the Smithsonian Institution . With the motto "Culture by, by and for the people", his express role is that of administrator and ambassador of the cultural heritage of humanity worldwide. The center does this by sponsoring scientific research, educational programs, and engagement in local communities. The CFCH differs in some ways from the majority of the museums within the Smithsonians. Although it contains the largest numerical collection in the Smithsonian, the center is not open to the general public. Its financial budget comes mostly from grants, trust funds, and foundations; only a small portion comes from the Smithsonian household budget itself.
The center consists of three production areas. Folklife Center staff plan and host the Smithsonian Folklife Festival every year . Another group, the Smithsonian Folkways, is a non-profit music label that promotes and supports the cultural diversity of soundscapes worldwide. As the third team of CFCH, the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, manages and archives important collections of the folk genre . While the archive is filled with papers and other memorabilia, as is usual in archives and museums, the two areas point to a new direction for the center. With a "shift away from objects and encrusted discourses ... towards a dynamic and ecological model of sustainability". Instead of just keeping a collection of objects, both the festival and the Folkways aim to conduct research based on the collections and create experiences for the public.
The compound name, Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage , refers to the ongoing development of subjects within the field of cultural studies . In concatenated form, the name documents the shift from folklore to preservation of cultural heritage that has taken place in science over the past 15 years.
The CFCH is just one of several federal agencies in the United States that have similar responsibilities. The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress is limited to the folklore of the United States, as opposed to the international scope of the CFCH. The National Endowment for the Arts , also based in Washington, DC, provides support and funding for both new and established art media. As such, there may be overlap with current artistic programs on the National Mall each summer during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The National Park Service aims to preserve historical sites and landscapes. In cooperation between the CFCH and the National Park Service, they jointly ensure the cultural sustainability of material and natural resources.
The inventory of the institute also includes the Moses and Frances Asch Collection, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2015 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.si.edu/CulturalPrograms
- ↑ Visiting scientists and other visitors can visit the CFCH by appointment.
- ↑ http://folklife.si.edu/mission-and-history/cfch-strategic-plan/smithsonian
- ↑ http://www.folklife.si.edu/cultural-sustainability-research-group/smithsonian
- ↑ Moses and Frances Asch Collection. UNESCO Memory of the World, accessed September 1, 2017 .