Introduction
After the 1967 Festival proved to be a great success, the Smithsonian decided that the Festival of American Folklife would become an annual event. The 1968 Festival took place July 3-7 on the National Mall, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 10th Street and 14th Street, south of the Museum of History and Technology and the Museum of Natural History (see
site map). It followed the same approach that had proven effective in 1967, but innovated by also including a program focused on a single State, Texas.
As in 1967, the Festival was organized by the Division of Performing Arts, James R. Morris, Director, and directed by Festival Director Ralph C. Rinzler.
The
1968 Program Book included information to complement each of the programs, ranging from discussions of the definitions of folklore and folklife to the relations between folklife and cultural history. Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, in his introduction to the booklet, noted that:
The Festival of American Folklife offers the Smithsonian Institution an opportunity to show through demonstration and performance some aspects of the cultural roots of the people of the United States. The Festival is a living exhibition of the creativity of the many ethnic groups that make up the culture of this country.
After the 1967 Festival proved to be a great success, the Smithsonian decided that the Festival of American Folklife would become an annual event. The 1968 Festival took place July 3-7 on the National Mall, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 10th Street and 14th Street, south of the Museum of History and Technology and the Museum of Natural History (see
site map). It followed the same approach that had proven effective in 1967, but innovated by also including a program focused on a single State, Texas.
As in 1967, the Festival was organized by the Division of Performing Arts, James R. Morris, Director, and directed by Festival Director Ralph C. Rinzler.
The
1968 Program Book included information to complement each of the programs, ranging from discussions of the definitions of folklore and folklife to the relations between folklife and cultural history. Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, in his introduction to the booklet, noted that:
- The Festival of American Folklife offers the Smithsonian Institution an opportunity to show through demonstration and performance some aspects of the cultural roots of the people of the United States. The Festival is a living exhibition of the creativity of the many ethnic groups that make up the culture of this country.
Festival speakers and consultants
Bruce Jackson, 1936-, New York
Guthrie (Gus) Meade, 1932-1991, Washington D.C.
Mack McCormick, Texas
Robert Messinger, New York
Sandy Paton, Connecticut
Caroline Paton, Connecticut
Jean Ritchie, New York
Mike Seeger, 1933-2009, Washington, D.C.
Dick Waterman, Massachusetts
Shared Stewardship of Collections
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit
https://folklife.si.edu/archives#shared-stewardship.
