This Year's Folklife Festival: An Interview with Director Sabrina Lynn Motley
by Janet Hewitt, Guest Blogger
If troubleshooting around a 35-day government shutdown had been part of the job description, would Sabrina Lynn Motley have taken the job as Director of the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival? I didn’t ask, but the good news is it didn’t stop her from coming on board five and a half years ago.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival was founded in 1967 and has become an institution in the summertime on the National Mall. But the 2019 Folklife Festival got sideswiped by the longest federal government shutdown to date, lasting from Dec. 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019. That was right in the heart of the planning for the 10-day long Festival, originally slated to celebrate the “social power of music” with a look at Brazil, Benin, the Baltics and southern coastal U.S. states.
As a result, the festival was shortened to a two-day weekend event with activities and concerts on June 29 and 30. Despite the disruption, the festival has managed to pack some unique fun and big names into the shortened format. (Better stake out a seat early for Grandmaster Flash.)
I had a chance to interview Sabrina recently about this year’s festival. She served prior stints at the Asia Society Texas Center, the Getty Center and the Japanese American National Museum (a Smithsonian-affiliated institution based in Los Angeles).
Here’s some of our conversation:
Q: When did you know that changes would have to be made to this year’s Folklife Festival?
A: In mid-December [2018] we started talking about it, when it looked like there might be a serious shutdown. We kept weighing our options throughout January. We were trying to figure out options to make the original festival program work. By mid-January, it was clear we had to come up with a Plan B.
Q: Was it a unanimous decision to go to a shortened schedule rather than cancel outright?
A: No. Some wanted to cancel outright. In the end, we decided to honor the institutional tradition of being on the Mall. A lot of visitors to Washington, D.C. make the festival a regular part of their summer tradition. The shutdown-related changes were not what anyone expected or wished would happen. But the Folklife Festival team decided to continue the tradition and put on a two-day festival [rather than cancel altogether].
Our partners from Benin and Brazil understood our situation and, fortunately, want to be here in full capacity next year. [The 2020 Folklife Festival will feature the lineup originally planned for 2019, as well as others.] There were a number of reasons why it worked out better for them as well. We have an exceedingly long build time for each Folklife Festival. It typically takes 2 to 3 years. Each 10-day festival is a culmination of many years of research, site visits, technical planning and meetings. We wanted to make sure we had the time “to cook” our programs. The Smithsonian takes a deeper, more meaningful approach to everything it does, and a lot goes on behind the scenes beyond what simply ends up on the Mall. We decided to maintain the integrity of our process by taking the time needed to hold a festival that reflected the Smithsonian’s deeper approach.
Q: With so many musical genres out there, how did your team narrow down the offerings of the two planned days of concerts? (Saturday’s concerts will focus on musical genres including hip-hop and spoken word, while Sunday’s will honor the notion of the citizen-artist, specifically Pete Seeger.)
A: I’ve been thinking a lot about who are our modern troubadours, what are the range of genres that speak to our times. For many, hip-hop, rap, and spoken word occupy that space. That type of music sheds light on cultural or community concerns. So for Saturday’s programming we wanted to take a look at hip-hop and more specifically the heritage of the DC music scene. This city has a long history of music making, and its roots also include go-go and punk, as well as the music brought here by immigrants from countries such as Ethiopia, El Salvador and elsewhere. We wanted to illuminate artists with community connections who speak about issues of current concern and demonstrate some of the diverse cultural expressions of people on the ground.
On Sunday, we are marking the centennial of Pete Seeger’s birth. He had a long history of connections to the Smithsonian, specifically the Festival and Folkways Recordings. The record label has just released an anthology called Pete Seeger—The Smithsonian Folkways Collection. This concert honoring Seeger’s musical career again plays on the notion of who are today’s troubadours and truth-tellers. And we close out Sunday’s concert with Grandmaster Flash, who some may not think of as being in the troubadour tradition, but as he has said, his music is not just some blinged-out enterprise, but also about family and community. He, too, carries messages that speak to our times.
Q: Is this the first time the festival has been curtailed or shortened in some way?
A: One of the prevailing misconceptions about the festival is that it’s always been the same duration and in the same location. During the Bicentennial, it was 3-months long. And when it started, it was just a weekend festival. So it’s been longer than 10 days and it’s been shorter than 10 days. As for the location, it’s been up and down the Mall, from up near the Capitol to the Reflecting Pool. It’s had a life that’s been a lot more varied than people think. The reality is that the festival has always been the exception, rather than the rule. That’s what makes it dynamic. Looking back at its 50 years of programming, it’s quite breathtaking.
Q: Pete Seeger had some famous friends among fellow musicians, such as Joan Baez and Arlo Guthrie. Do you expect any surprise guests to show up?
A: If we do, I, too, will be surprised. Fortunately, this is not a star-driven festival. We are a grassroots as well as tree tops-type festival. That is our focus. We are not dependent on stars, but we will certainly welcome them this summer, as we have in the past.
Q: How many staff and volunteers will be involved in this year’s festival?
A: A surprisingly small number of staff put this together. About 10-15 core staff were involved this year, and then from 40 to 50 temporary staff. This year, the number of volunteers will be a good 50 instead of our usual 400 or so. Whether it’s two days or ten days, there’s quite a lot of work involved. We essentially build a city on the Mall because there is nothing there and we have to create everything. This Festival could not work without volunteers. They cheer us on when we need it, and offer constructive criticism—whether we want it or not [laughter]. They give the festival heart and courage when we need it most.
Deep Time: "The Lessons of the Past Inform the Future"
Guest Blogger Kiren Jahangeer also volunteers at the Natural History Museum, where she had the distinct pleasure of taking a special advance tour of the new David H. Kohn Hall of Fossils – Deep Time with the museum’s director, Kirk Johnson. If you haven’t braved the crowds yet to see it in person, here’s a sneak peak from her story in the Smithsonian online publication, The Torch, complete with photos and a short video of the preparations before the hall opened on June 8th.
You can experience Deep Time without the day time crowds by volunteering with the Natural History Museum Sleepovers. Activity Leaders are needed on August 2 and August 9th. Email Jenna for details!
Mark Raisher: Food for Thought
by Joann Stevens, Guest Blogger
Mark Raisher doesn’t call himself a foodie but “a food lover” who travels quite a bit domestically and internationally. “Wherever I roam I try to experience the flavors of the location,” he says.
Volunteering for Smithsonian Associates has enhanced his epicurean experiences, educating and encouraging Raisher to try new foods at restaurants locally as well as abroad. He has assisted at many SA food events, including A Toast to the Rat Pack, How to Set the Italian Table, Sapporo-Style Ramen, Pie Squared, The Tasty Case for Slab Pies, and The Eye-Opening New Rules of Coffee.
Occasionally he attempts recipes at home. “I wish I could say I’ve translated what I’ve learned to my kitchen skills,” he says chuckling.
With a decade of volunteering for Smithsonian Associates behind him, first in Studio Arts and now at food-centric programs, Raisher says he has been rewarded with learning and connections that have enriched and affirmed him on many levels.
He has found a loyal corps of food volunteers who attend the same events and have fun prepping for programs that require teamwork and coordination. “That’s fun and enriching,” he says. “It’s different than volunteering for some of the regular lectures. We (food volunteers) really have to work in a very cooperative, synchronized way to make these events successful.
“The food events are also engaging,” he says. “There is a lot more interaction between the volunteers and the folks attending. The students seem to come with a heightened degree of enthusiasm. They know they’re going to have something to eat that compliments the lecture. This infuses a different energy and spirit into the event. Folks are thrilled to be there, and the more we volunteers can enhance their experience, the more socially engaging they become. That interaction is really quite
positive.” Occasionally the volunteers get to enjoy the fruits of their labors along with the students. “That certainly adds to the positive experience,” says Raisher.
Though female volunteers and students tend to outnumber male participants, there are surprises. A Toast to the Rat Pack honored Rat Pack performers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop with the music, cocktails and spirits of their era. It drew an audience that seemed to “represent everyone” Raisher notes.
Volunteering for Smithsonian Associate “helps to broaden my view of the world” says Raisher, “but the food programs do a little more, since we all have to eat.”
Where Am I?
by Janet Hewitt, Guest Blogger
Still looking for the perfect thing to wear to your neighborhood Fourth of July picnic? Well, what about this patriotic little number? That’s right, you could go as Uncle Sam. We think you could really rock the look if you’ve got the acting chops. Only problem is you have to find out which Smithsonian museum it’s in, and then convince the staff to lend it to you. (Of course, you’d have to promise not to get any mustard on the pants.)
The Fourth of July was America’s first national holiday. It was celebrated widely during the American Revolution. And it’s coming right up in 2019, and promises to be quite memorable, with the speeches and all.
So if you think you might want to borrow the outfit shown above, here are a few hints on where you can find it:
HINT ONE: The exhibit case where we spotted it says Wilburt E. Leppien wore this particular Uncle Sam costume. He first appeared as Uncle Sam in 1956. Leppien took part it numerous ceremonies and parades, as well as 5 presidential inaugurations.
HINT TWO: Mrs. Marcella M. Leppien donated the costume to the Smithsonian. (I’m personally wondering how she could part with it.)
ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’s Where Am I?:
The china and crystal shown in the last Where Am I? story belonged to Martha Washington. The lovely tableware is currently on display in The First Ladies exhibit upstairs in the National Museum of American History.
