Smithsonian Institution

folklife_0007

A Colombian music troupe performs as people dance to their tunes at the "Colombia: The Nature of Culture" exhibit of the 45th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 30, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

folklife_0006

Handmade Colombian crafts and instruments are displayed for sale at the "Colombia: The Nature of Culture" exhibit of the 45th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 30, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

folklife_0005

Colombian volunteers perform ceremonial music and dance at the "Colombia: The Nature of Culture" exhibit of the 45th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 30, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

folklife_0004

A Colombian volunteer weaves a basket by hand in front of a crowd at the "Colombia: The Nature of Culture" exhibit of the 45th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 30, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

folklife_0003

Ernesto Cuevas, a volunteer with the Colombia exhibit at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, plays a guitar while resting on a hammock during the festival's opening day Thursday, June 30, 2011.(Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

folklife_0002

A drummer with the Colombian dance and music troupe performs at the "Colombia: The Nature of Culture" exhibit on opening day of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 30, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

20110612-153011-pic-953111403.jpg

ASSOCIATED PRESS Smithsonian research botanist John Kress said the app that identifies American trees via smartphone pictures initially was meant as a way for scientists to discover new species in unknown habitats.

20110612-153011-pic-714978503.jpg

W. John Kress displays the Leafsnap app on his iPhone along with tree leaf specimens at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum's specimen storage room in Washington. The free app "is going to be able to populate a database of every tree in the United States," he said. "I mean that's millions and millions and millions of trees, so that would be really neat." (Associated Press)

20110517-210632-pic-761545067.jpg

Friends (from left) Katie Devereaux, Laura Tucker and Kathryn Johnson discuss their next move at the detailed map of the Mall that made its debut Tuesday outside of the Smithsonian Metro Station. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

20110407-174747-pic-82527896.jpg

Gabrielle Davison of Bowie and her son Dominic try to get their kite airborne during the 2009 Kite Festival, then sponsored by the Smithsonian, on the grounds of the Washington Monument. (J.M. Eddins Jr./The Washington Times)

20110407-174747-pic-489113130.jpg

The Smithsonian Kite Festival may not take off as planned this year because of the winds of politics in Washington. The kite festival traditionally kicks off festivities for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which also would be canceled by a federal government shutdown. (The Washington Times)

Smithsonian_Jazz_Anthology.sff.jpg

In this CD box set cover released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, "Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology" is shown. (AP Photo/ Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)

20110310-194323-pic-50599771.jpg

A T-shirt with the text of the Constitution on it that was made in Nicaragua is on sale at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

Smithsonian_Van_Halen.sff.jpg

This undated handout photo provided by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History shows an Eddie Van Halen guitar. The museum announced that it has acquired the "Frank 2" guitar that Van Halen used during his 2007-2008 North American tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth. (AP Photo/Hugh Talman, Smithsonian's National Museum of American History)

Smithsonian Farrah Fa_Star.jpg

Actor Ryan O'Neal waves goodbye to Farrah Fawcett's red swimsuit, and seen in a poster at right, and other Fawcett memorabilia, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, where he donated objects from the private collection of Farrah Fawcett's estate. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Smithsonian Farrah Fa_Thir.jpg

Actor Ryan O'Neal waves goodbye to Farrah Fawcett's red swimsuit, and seen in a poster at right, and other Fawcett memorabilia, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, where he donated objects from the private collection of Farrah Fawcett's estate. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Smithsonian_Video_Removed.sff.jpg

Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, left, gestures during a news conference with Patty Stonesifer, chair of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, center, and John McCarter, a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, following a meeting of the Smithsonian Board of Regents Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, in Washington. where they discussed the decision to remove the video "A Fire in My Belly" from the National Portrait Gallery after complaints from a Catholic group. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Art_Sexual_Orientation_Protest.sff.jpg

Protesters hold masks in support of artist David Wojnarowicz on the steps of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, after a video by Wojnarowicz was removed from exhibition at the museum, in Washington, on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

hope_472

The Hope Diamond is seen in its new temporary setting, "Embracing Hope," Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington. The temporary setting is platinum with 340 baguette diamonds and took more than eight months to create. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

hope_469

The Hope Diamond is seen in its unveiling of its new temporary setting, "Embracing Hope," Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington. The temporary setting is platinum with 340 baguette diamonds and took more than eight months to create. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)