Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1983 Festival of American Folklife
odd: label: Introduction
content: Like its predecessor, the 1983 Festival took place for two five-day weeks (June 23-27 and June 30-July 4) between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 10th Street and 14th Street, south of the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History (see site plan). A program on the folklife of flight celebrated the 200th anniversary of human flight, with other major programs focusing on French and French American music and dance, the folklife of New Jersey, and the second awarding of National Heritage Fellowships by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The idea that shaped this year's program - and any year's program, for that matter - was the Smithsonian Institution's abiding commitment to cultural conservation. The selected traditions were brought to the National Mall not only for visitors' enjoyment and intellectual edification, but also as a statement to the people who keep the traditions, to their communities, and to the great American public that these cultural traditions were more than the artistic flowering of a healthy community. They were often the very roots of a group's cultural identity, community feeling, and shared sense of style and, as such, were crucial to its well-being and productivity. Visitors were encouraged to find entertainment in the beautiful and significant traditions presented at this year's Festival and to understand their importance in the lives of the performers and their communities. Festival organizers also expressed their hope that visitors would join in making our nation an environment in which myriad cultural traditions can flourish.

The 1983 Program Book provides information on each of the programs.

The 1983 Festival was co-presented by the Smithsonian Institution and National Park Service, with support from Festival New Jersey '83!, the Government of France, Continental Telecom, Inc., Music Performance Trust Funds, and John & Clara Higgins Foundation, and with cooperation of the National Endowment for the Arts. It was organized by the Office of Folklife Programs, in conjunction (for the Aviation Program) with the National Air and Space Museum.

Folklife Advisory Council

Wilcomb E. Washburn, Chairman, Roger Abrahams, Richard Ahlborn, William Fitzhugh, Lloyd Herman, Robert Laughlin, Scott Odell, Ralph Rinzler, Peter Seitel, Thomas Vennum

Office of Folklife Programs

Ralph Rinzler, Festival Director; Peter Seitel, Acting Director; Jeffrey LaRiche, Acting Assistant Director; Diana Parker, Associate Festival Director; Thomas Vennum, Senior Ethnomusicologist; Marjorie Hunt, Folklorist; Kazadi wa Mukuna, Ethnomusicologist; Jack Santino, Folklorist; Richard Derbyshire, Archivist

National Park Service

Russell E. Dickenson, Director; Manus J. Fish, Jr., Regional Director, National Capital Region
label: Fieldworkers and presenters
content: Barry Ancelet, Tina Bucuvalas, Lynda Burack-Novick, Tom Carroll, David Cohen, Angus Gillespie, John Herbst, Pandora Hopkins, Mary Hufford, Michael Licht, Amanda McQuiddy, Rita Moonsammy, Kazadi wa Mukuna, Kathleen Mundell, Catherine Perrier, Charlie Sayles, Daniel Sheehy, Nick Spitzer, Bob Teske, Norma Threadgill, Tom Vennum, John Vlach, Hank Willett, John Wright, Peggy Yocum
label: Shared Stewardship of Collections
content: 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://doi.org/10.25573/data.21771155.
name: label: Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
label: Names
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival
place: label: Place
content: Caribbean Area
label: Place
content: Puerto Rico
topic: label: Topic
content: Folk festivals
label: Topic
content: Food habits
label: Topic
content: Folk music
label: Topic
content: arts and crafts
label: Topic
content: World music
label: Topic
content: Folklore
label: Topic
content: Folk art
label: Topic
content: Afro-Caribbeans
creator: label: Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
culture: label: Culture
content: bomba (music)
label: Culture
content: Bomba (Dance)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1983 Festival of American Folklife
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. The materials collected here document the planning, production, and execution of the annual Festival, produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present) and its predecessor offices (1967-1999). An overview of the entire Festival records group is available here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
bioghist: label: Historical note
content: The Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. 

The 1983 Festival of American Folklife was produced by the Smithsonian Office of Folklife Programs and cosponsored by the National Park Service.

For more information, see Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cubic foot (approximate)
phystech: label: Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note
content: The Rinzler Archives is continually engaged in digitization of archival materials to facilitate preservation and ready access by users. However, given the diversity of legacy formats of the originals, some older materials may not be available. Notably, certain older audio recordings cannot be played because of deterioration of the tape stock, and the Archives has no playback equipment for EIAJ-1 videoreels (1/2 inch) or multi-track audio recordings. Where listening or viewing copies are available, this is generally indicated for each item. Users are encouraged to contact Archives staff to verify that the materials of interest to them are already accessible, or to determine if they can be digitized as needed.
unitdate: label: Date
content: June 23-July 4, 1983
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1983
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Audiocassettes
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Digital images
label: Type
content: Notes
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Negatives
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Memorandums
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Plans (drawings)
label: Type
content: Contracts
label: Type
content: Plena
arrangement: label: Arrangement note
content: Arranged in 6 series.

Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera

Series 2: Aviation Program

Series 3: Festival Sampler

Series 4: French/French-American Program

Series 5: National Heritage Fellowships Program

Series 6: New Jersey
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Audiocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Digital images
label: Genre/Form
content: Notes
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records
label: Genre/Form
content: Negatives
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Memorandums
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographic prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Plans (drawings)
label: Genre/Form
content: Contracts
label: Genre/Form
content: plena
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: This collection documents the planning, production, and execution of the 1983 Festival of American Folklife. Materials may include photographs, audio recordings, motion picture film and video recordings, notes, production drawings, contracts, memoranda, correspondence, informational materials, publications, and ephemera. Such materials were created during the Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as in the featured communities, before or after the Festival itself.
relatedmaterial: label: Forms Part Of
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1983 Festival of American Folklife forms part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival records .

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: Papers

1967 Festival of American Folklife records - [Ongoing]
label: Related Archival Materials note
content: Within the Rinzler Archives, related materials may be found in various collections such as the Ralph Rinzler papers and recordings, the Lily Spandorf drawings, the Diana Davies photographs, the Robert Yellin photographs, and the Curatorial Research, Programs, and Projects collection. Additional relevant materials may also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives concerning the Division of Performing Arts (1966-1983), Folklife Program (1977-1980), Office of Folklife Programs (1980-1991), Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies (1991-1999), Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present), and collaborating Smithsonian units, as well as in the administrative papers of key figures such as the Secretary and respective deputies. Users are encouraged to consult relevant finding aids and to contact Archives staff for further information.