The Culture of America to Celebrate the 2021 NEA National Heritage Fellows

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in collaboration with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, will present The Culture of America: A Cross-Country Visit with the 2021 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 8:00 pm ET.

Emmy Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits will host the film and take viewers on a virtual trip across the United States where this year’s National Heritage Fellows live and work. The pre-recorded virtual presentation will be webcast free to the public at arts.gov.

Recognizing artistic excellence and contributions to the United States’ traditional arts heritage, the National Heritage Fellowship is the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. “The traditions of these culture bearers are shared in this film as stories of community, of unity, and of individual pride for one’s heritage,” said Ann Eilers, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “The diverse artforms of the National Heritage Fellows invite us to understand and appreciate the experiences of the past and allow us to see a bright future where culture grounds us and new ideas take hold.”

The one-hour film will feature the following artists:

Cedric Burnside

Musician Cedric Burnside performing Hill Country Blues through the neighborhoods of North Mississippi. Burnside credits his family before him for the knowledge and encouragement to pursue performing and writing music as he passes the tradition on to the next generation through his daughter.

Tagumpay Mendoza De Leon and his Rondalla Club of Los Angeles

Tagumpay Mendoza De Leon and his Rondalla Club of Los Angeles will discuss how the rondalla music of the Philippines connects the community of Filipino Americans to one another. “Uncle Pi” has been teaching rondalla for 20 years, helping his students learn about themselves and their Filipino culture.

Anita Fields

Anita Fields (Osage/Muscogee) will share Osage ribbon work and how her creative works have contemporary influences while paying tribute to the ancestors.

Los Lobos

Members of Mexican American roots rock band Los Lobos will reminisce about their beginnings in East Los Angeles, California, and the folkloric musical influences that are embedded in their music, which provide the roots for the band’s own sound today.

Joanie Madden

Flutist Joanie Madden will appear at her home in the Irish American neighborhood of Yonkers, New York. Learn about her lifetime love of music that was passed down through her family and that she continues to share through her group, Cherish the Ladies, which plays traditional Irish music for audiences all over the globe.

Reginald “Reggio The Hoofer” McLaughlin

Explore Chicago, Illinois, with Reginald “Reggio The Hoofer” McLaughlin as he taps his way through the park, in the subway, across bridges, and on the streets. McLaughlin’s infectious energy and love for dance convey a joy that will have viewers tapping along.

Nellie Vera Sánchez

Connect with Nellie Vera Sánchez in Moca, Puerto Rico, where the intricate bobbin lace practice of sewing mundillo has a long history. Vera shares patterns and designs that were taught to her with love and how she continues to pass on the art form.

Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble

Learn about the Easter Rock ritual as Louisiana’s Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble maintains the African American tradition that combines music and food with Christian and West African influences.

Tom Davenport

Visit Tom Davenport at his home in Delaplane, Virginia, as he shares the importance of documenting history through filmmaking and how he created Folkstreams—a free independent film streaming platform—as a way to share American traditional cultures with the world. Davenport is the 2021 recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, presented in recognition of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.

Jimmy Smits

Jimmy Smits is known for his roles in the television dramas NYPD Blue and The West Wing and more recently, in the movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights. Co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, Smits is lauded for his impact as a Hispanic actor and for advancing access for Hispanic artists in the media.

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NEAHeritage21. The Culture of America: A Cross-Country Visit with the 2021 NEA National Heritage Fellows will continue to be available to watch on arts.gov following the November 17th debut.

Watch The Culture of America: A Cross-Country Visit with the 2021 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows at: