Register for the 2022 Western Regional Folklife Network Meeting in Paducah, KY!

The Kentucky Folklife Program, part of the Folk Studies and Anthropology department at WKU, is hosting a Regional Folklife Network Meeting on February 26^thfrom 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 of Hotel Metropolitan. Register Here!

ABOUT THE NETWORK & MAGAZINE

The Kentucky Folklife Network & Magazine is a new initiative of the Kentucky Folklife Program. The project aims to connect folklorists, Community Scholars, cultural workers, and folk arts-related organizations across the state as a way to share work, provide opportunities for professional development, and to generate connections, avenues of support, and potential partnerships. The work of the Kentucky Folklife Network will be showcased in a digital magazine hosted by the Kentucky Folklife Program.  The Kentucky Folklife Magazine will welcome contributions from network members, folklorists, students, Community Scholars, artists, and community partners throughout Kentucky.

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Folklife Gathering 2021

Are you a folklorist, community scholar, or cultural/arts worker in Kentucky? Do you want to connect with others across the state, get inspired, and learn how to take your community cultural initiatives to the next level, all for free and from the comfort of your favorite work-from-home chair? 

Mark your calendars for the first-ever Kentucky Folklife Network Virtual Statewide Gathering, March 5-6, 2021! We have an exciting lineup of panelists and speakers from across Kentucky and beyond, ready to share about their successes and challenges and answer your questions. Watch this space for more information coming soon.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Facebook Group and Email
We’ve created both a ListServ and a Facebook group for people to join and interact with.  These are meant to connect people across Kentucky interested in folklife. Please feel welcome to share about projects, opportunities, quandaries, events, or anything else related to folklife around the Commonwealth.

• To join the Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2453025834759185/
• To join the ListServ:  https://groups.google.com/d/forum/kentucky-folklife-network

Kentucky Folklife Directory
We are creating a Kentucky Folklife Directory that will serve as a resource for those wanting to learn more about organizations, groups, projects, and events in Kentucky that are engaged in folklife or related cultural work.  Do you have an organization, group, project, or event you’d like to see on the directory? Fill out this Directory Submission form:  https://forms.gle/wkXrSUYrLcdGkuBq6

Kentucky Folklife Magazine
The Kentucky Folklife Program is excited to announce its first call for proposals for the Kentucky Folklife Magazine, a multimedia digital publication that explores the diversity of expressive cultures within Kentucky.  From the regional Mexican foods served in Lexington’s taquerías, the vibrant drag show culture in Bowling Green, and Monroe County’s marble makers, to step-dancing traditions within Kentucky’s historically black fraternities & sororities and the thumbpicking guitar traditions of Muhlenberg County, the Kentucky Folklife Magazine features original work focused on the Commonwealth’s present-day people, folk arts, cultural heritages, and histories.  

We are currently seeking proposals for our first round of publication.  We are accepting proposals for articles, photo essays, documentary film & audio, interviews & oral histories, and performances that explore and document Kentucky’s folklife.  Please see the guidelines for the proposal submission process.