2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Seeks Volunteers

The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage needs capable and enthusiastic volunteers before, during and after the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which will be held on the National Mall Wednesday, June 27, through Sunday, July 1, and Wednesday, July 4, through Sunday, July 8.

The “Campus and Community: Public and Land-grant Universities and the USDA at 150” program will highlight the 150th anniversary of the creation of public and land-grant universities and the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The program will explore the ways in which these organizations partner with communities to put research into action in the areas of agriculture and food, health care, sustainable living, urban and rural revitalization, and education. Volunteers supporting “Citified: Arts and Creativity East of the Anacostia River” program will help visitors explore the ways in which the residents of neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., are connected through arts and creativity. The “Creativity and Crisis: Unfolding the AIDS Memorial Quilt” program will mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and 30 years of life with AIDS. With the introduction of The Quilt in 1987, The NAMES Project Foundation redefined the tradition of quilt making in response to contemporary circumstances.

Certified American Sign Language interpreters and persons who have had experience handling the AIDS Memorial Quilt are especially needed.

More information on all the volunteer opportunities and an application are available at www.festival.si.edu or contact Soyini George, Volunteer Coordinator, at CFCH-Volunteer@si.edu or (202) 633-7477.

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SI-295-2012