American Folklife Center

08/17/2026

Recently, the American Folklife Center hosted a fantastic lecture with Greg Harris, president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On Folklife Today, see Harris' lecture and watch an interview with Harris about his life and career. Link below!

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2026/07/greg-harris-of-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-botkin-folklife-lectures-plus/?loclr=fbafc

08/13/2026

Right now in the Coolidge Auditorium: Artist-in-Resonance Amanda Pascali! If you’re not here, you can still see Amanda’s great concert. The concert and an interview are being recorded and will be on the Library of Congress website in a few weeks!

08/13/2026

Anouncing a job opening for a Folklife Specialist at the American Folklife Center at The Library of Congress! A great opportunity for people with training in folklife, ethnomusicology, and related disciplines who wants to join us in Washington, DC! Deadline to apply August 31. Find all details at the link!

The Library of Congress shares its vast collections of books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, audiovisual materials, and priceless artifacts to cultivate curiosity and spark imagination. We engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge...

08/12/2026

Check out a fascinating talk by Liam O’Connor of the Irish Traditional Music Archive at the link:

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2026/08/liam-oconnor-of-the-irish-traditional-music-archive-botkin-folklife-lectures-plus/?loclr=fbafc

The Folklife Today blog presents a video of the lecture, in which O’Connor discusses the work of Ireland’s national reference archive and cultural resource center for Irish traditional song, instrumental music, and dance. Founded in 1987 and now the world’s largest specialist repository for Irish traditional performing arts, ITMA documents traditions and performers on the island of Ireland, within the Irish diaspora, and among global practitioners. The lecture explores how ITMA connects artists, archivists, and communities through archival preservation and creative programming, including initiatives such as the Drawing from the Well concert series, tours, and film projects that link archival research directly with the creation of new work, alongside expanding digital access to a living tradition. In addition, AFC folklorist Stephen Winick provides an overview of the AFC’s Irish and Irish American holdings. The post also presents a video conversation among O’Connor, Winick, and AFC folklorist Nancy Groce, in which they discuss O’Connor’s life and career.

08/07/2026

Don't forget to join the American Folklife Center, on August 22, at the Library of Congress' National Book Festival! The event will feature presentations and book signings from a range of amazing authors, as well as opportunities to learn more about the Library of Congress' work. AFC staff will be there, ready to share our good programs and collections with you. See the link below for more information on this wonderful event.

08/06/2026

The American Folklife Center is proud to announce the 2026 recipients of three AFC award/fellowship programs: the Gerald E. and Corinne L. Parsons Fund Award, the Henry Reed Award, and the Artists in Resonance Fellowship. They are Emily Hilliard and Fidel GomezTorres (Parsons Award), Elsa Howell & the Blackbird Pie Stringband (Reed Award), and Jason Cade (Artists in Resonance). Congratulations to this year's recipients! At the link below, learn more about these innovative projects and the awards/fellowship programs.

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2026/08/announcing-the-recipients-of-the-american-folklife-centers-2026-fellowships-and-awards/?loclr=fbafc

08/05/2026

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2026/07/new-online-collection-from-the-united-houma-nation-of-south-louisiana-documenting-cultural-practices-history-and-survivance/?loclr=fbafc

We're happy to announce the online publication of "United Houma Nation Culture Bearers in Coastal Communities of Louisiana" - a collection that documents the cultural history and artistic processes woven into traditional craft production in this indigenous community of the southeastern United States. At the link above, read more about this wonderful collection and see a sample of the collection's images, videos, and oral history interviews, curated by AFC's Guha Shankar.

Photo: Thomas Dardar, citizen of the United Houma Nation, demonstrates traditional palmetto hut construction; photo: Tammy Greer, 2023.

08/03/2026

afc@50-an-evening-with-afc-artist-in-resonance-amanda-pascali/2026-08-13/?loclr=fbafc" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://www.loc.gov/item/event-421232/afc@50-an-evening-with-afc-artist-in-resonance-amanda-pascali/2026-08-13/?loclr=fbafc

Reminder! Join us, on Thursday, August 13th, for a concert with Amanda Pascali, AFC's 2025-2026 Artist-in-Resonance. Pascali will present an evening of what she calls “immigrant American folk,” which blends folk/Americana influences with Mediterranean, Balkan, and Latin rhythms to create powerful tales of America. Pascali will use archival collections from the American Folklife Center to inform this performance.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. See the link above to register and to learn more about Pascali's concert. This event is presented as part of the AFC's Homegrown Concert Series, Live! At the Library, and in celebration of the AFC's 50th anniversary.

07/30/2026

afc@50-botkin-lecture-with-lisa-rathje-teaching-with-folk-sources-education-innovation-and-the-american-folklife-center-archives/2026-08-04/?loclr=fbafc" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://www.loc.gov/item/event-421238/afc@50-botkin-lecture-with-lisa-rathje-teaching-with-folk-sources-education-innovation-and-the-american-folklife-center-archives/2026-08-04/?loclr=fbafc

Reminder! Join us at the Library of Congress on Tuesday, August 4, for a noon-time lecture with Lisa Rathje, titled "Teaching with Folk Sources: Education, Innovation, and the American Folklife Center Archives." In this talk, Lisa Rathje, Executive Director of the pioneering non-profit organization Local Learning, will describe how educators can use AFC’s local and regional collections to enhance classroom experiences at all grade levels.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at the link above. This presentation is hosted as part of the American Folklife Center’s Benjamin A. Botkin Lecture Series and in celebration of the American Folklife Center’s 50th anniversary.

07/29/2026

At the link watch a terrific concert of Sephardic songs and other folk music with the Lily Henley Trio--and see a bonus interview with Lily!

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2026/07/sephardic-music-with-the-lily-henley-trio-homegrown-plus/?loclr=fbafc