Jun
21

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Beyond the Mall opens this week

“Making Matters 2021” June 25 – June 27. The marketplace is open now!

Please join the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on June 25–27 for “Beyond the Mall: Making Matters,” a series of online events featuring master and everyday makers who find solace and connection in creativity. The weekend’s programs will include craft workshops, cooking demonstrations, and conversations. You can find the schedule and list of participants at s.si.edu/makingmatters.

With a mix of free and paid programming all open to the public, events are as varied as an exploration of metalsmithing in Senegal, a conversation with a groundbreaking Cuban hip-hop artist, and a cooking demonstration of Korean ginseng chicken soup. The weekend also includes family-orientated activities and two intensive workshops led by internationally respected master artisans from Mexico and Peru.

Real-time captioning and ASL interpretation will be available for all events. Just as on the National Mall, you are encouraged to ask questions and share your own experiences in the comments section of each program.

You can experience “Beyond the Mall: Making Matters” online on Facebook, YouTube, or the Folklife Festival website, festival.si.edu. Just like a visit to the in-person Festival, you might want to include a stop at the online Festival Marketplace. Through the end of June, members of the Smithsonian community can enjoy a special discount! Purchase the work of artisans in our Marketplace and save 30% by using discount code Festival2021.

The Folklife Festival would especially like to thank several Smithsonian partners, including the Conservation Commons, the Asian Pacific American Center, and the Museum of African Art for their support of this year’s Making Matters programs.

The Festival will return to presenting live programming on the National Mall and beyond in 2022. Occasional digital programming will remain an integral part of the Festival experience.

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Posted: 21 June 2021
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.