As the Smithsonian's Senior Historic Preservation Officer, Amy Ballard, oversees historic renovations; but her career at the Smithsonian began much differently as a clerk typist with "other duties as assigned". Her oddest job was owlkeeper of the castle.
The Vincente Sosa family are weavers who operate a workshop above their home in Teotitlan del Valle. Together they create rugs influenced by both traditional and modern designs.
Mariachi Tradicional Los Tios from El Manguito, a remote community in the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains of Jalisco, perform in a distinctive regional style that has flourished for more than 150 years.
Members of Chinelos de Atlatlahuacan come from the state of Morelos in Mexico. Their dance, still performed in communities today, originated in the 16th and 17th centuries and playfully mocks Spanish colonists.