Colors of Peru – 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Part 1

One of the highlights of living in the DC area is all the wonderful events that take place in our nation’s capitol – including the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Held annually around the Fourth of July, the Folklife Festival is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage. The 2015 Festival featured the cultures of Peru.

Peru Banner, 2015 Smithonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

A major part of the Folklife Festival is having the opportunity to see traditional handmade crafts from around the world – often with demonstrations of how they are created. Several types of weaving were being demonstrated the morning I visited the festival.

Weaving Demonstration, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

As you can see from the clothes the women are wearing, and the fabrics they are weaving, bright colors are featured in the Peruvian cultures being shared. Many of the craft items being created on site and for sale in the Folklife Festival Market featured incredibly bright colors.

One of the crafts being demonstrated was painted metalwork. Craftsmen would cut/shape the sheets of metal into flowers, birds and other fanciful shapes and then attach them to candlestick, candelabras, and other decorative items.

Painted Metalwork, 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival © 2015 Patty Hankins

These are just a few of the photos I took at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival – I’ll be sharing a few more photos in a post next week.

Colors of Peru – 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Part 1

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