Folklife Altar Project

As part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival program Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S., we collected submissions of home altars, asking our community to share stories of the spaces they’ve created for devotional practice or memorializing loved ones.

Religious and spiritual experiences provide a deep reservoir of inspiration and, in many cases, the setting for devotional art and memorial offerings. Whether in public places of worship or intimate spaces in homes, artworks and objects can enhance emotional encounters with the divine. The creative spark is often thought of as a gift or a calling, and artistic works can be sacred offerings themselves.

Explore the submissions of home altars that we received from all across the United States, and submit your own home altar to add to the map.

Click on the photo of the altar to expand it for a closer look.

Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S. explored the abundant creativity that emerges from spiritual and religious experiences. The program centered stories and lived experiences of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders, Sikhs, practitioners of African-descended religions, Humanists, and other ethical and spiritual traditions. Through case studies, we offered a snapshot of the breadth and significance of cultural expressions of faith and belonging.

The program explored the rituals and values that shape American cultural traditions and help us to organize our lives. They connect us to the past and shape our visions for the future. By engaging with rituals and secular stories, Americans build community, agitate for social change, and transmit our heritage and worldviews to others.

Submit your own home altar, and we will add it to our StoryMap.

The 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival took place June 29–July 4 and July 6–9 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Learn more at  festival.si.edu.