The newest Spring 2022 Issue of the Kentucky Folklife Digital Magazine is live! The Kentucky Folklife Program, a part of the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at WKU, is pleased to announce that our fourth consecutive issue of Kentucky Folklife, a multimedia digital publication dedicated to exploring expressive cultures throughout the Commonwealth, is now available. This…
The Kentucky Folklife Program, part of the Folk Studies and Anthropology department at WKU, is hosting a Regional Folklife Network Meeting on February 26th from 10am-5pm at the National Quilt Musuem in Paducah, Kentucky. This free event will feature workshops on oral history & collecting family folklore and podcasting; along with lunch and a tour…
Our Regional Folklife Network Meeting in Paducah, KY will be on February 26 and our meeting in Hazard, KY will be on March 12 (all dates in 2022, of course)! We are excited to work with our neighbors in the Eastern and Western parts of Kentucky to host workshops on Oral History & Collecting Family…
The Kentucky Folklife Program has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to expand and continue the Kentucky Folklife Network, including the Kentucky Folklife Digital Magazine! We are excited to continue our outreach efforts and work with groups all over the Commonwealth. “We are very appreciative that the NEA has again funded…
Hey y’all! As cooler temperatures begin to settle across the state, we are starting to look for contributions to publish in our next issue of Kentucky Folklife. We also want to let you know that we are changing things up a bit. From now on we will have a rolling submission open for you to…
Hundreds of visitors came to the Kentucky Museum on Saturday, October 16 for Hammer In 2021. Joined by the Kentucky Forge Council, the Society for Inclusive Blacksmiths, various local metal workers and WKU Folk Studies Grad Students, this free event brought out anyone interested in Metal Workers and gave visitors a great chance to check…
Artists Alice Gatewood Waddell and Mike Nichols talked about their Jonesville Fresco Mural Project in the Kentucky Museum Lobby. The artists talk about what the project meant to them, the history of Jonesville and the process of creating the mural. Check out a recording of the talk below!
The Kentucky Folklife Program had a great time at the Horse Cave Heritage Festival on Saturday, despite a rainy start. We hosted a narrative stage featuring a bbq sauce demonstration by Barry Locke, Jammin’ on the Porch with local musicians Tony, Jimmy, Reggie and friends. The last half of the day we talked about 4-H…
In partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council, this past Saturday the KFP team went to Lexington to participate in The KY Crafted Marketplace at Waveland. This great event showcases local makers and provides a place for the public to see what Kentucky artisans have to offer. There is also a Folk Arts Tent that features…
Kentucky Folklife Program Director Brent Bjorkman paid a visit to Kentucky White Oak Basketmaker Leona Waddell last week at her home in Cecelia, Kentucky. For over 20 years, Bjorkman and the KFP team have been intimately connected to the basketmaking community of South Central Kentucky (the Hart, Edmonson and surrounding county area) documenting this internationally-known…
On Saturday July 3rd, the Kentucky Folklife Program continued its tradition of documenting the 24th annual White Oak Basket Contest at the Hart County Fair. The White Oak Basket Contest began in 1998 when Dr. James Middleton, a Hart county resident and physician, was approached by local attorney Charlie Williams who suggested there be a…