HDIF Designated Implementing Partner for Smithsonian Folklife Festival

HDIF has been designated as an Implementing partner for the Smithsonian's 2018 Folklife Festival.  This year, Armenia and Catalonia are being showcased.  HDIF has been helping Armenian artisans export their goods to the U.S. in preparation for this international event.  

The Armenia: Creating Home program at the 2018 Folklife Festival will feature two case studies offering a glimpse into Armenian culture, greatly influenced by its surroundings, heritage, and ongoing exchange with its many diasporas. Foodways presentations and artisan craft traditions tell the importance of economic and cultural sustainability in the face of change and how these practices create home—both in concept and in form.  From the physical production of food and craft for everyday life to the memories and emotions these traditions convey, the program will challenge visitors to explore their own notions of home while experiencing Armenian culture.