Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology News

The Kentucky Folklife digital magazine is now accepting proposals for articles, photo essays, documentary film, audio, interviews, oral histories, and performances that explore and document Kentucky’s folklife for the Fall 2026 Issue.

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, Kentucky Folklife digital magazine features original work focused on the Commonwealth’s present-day people, folk arts, cultural heritages, and histories.

Kentucky Folklife is a multimedia digital publication dedicated to highlighting emergent contributors exploring “folklife,” or diverse expressive cultures, across the Commonwealth. Run by Folklorist and Editor-in-Chief Delainey Bowers under the Kentucky Folklife Program, the digital magazine accepts entries in a variety of media, including written essays, photo essays, audio/video productions, and artistic interpretations like poetry and visual arts. The publication is always open to exploring new ways of presenting the documentation of Kentucky expressive culture and traditions, and has discovered that many people around the Commonwealth are doing great folklife research and cultural conservation work without even calling it by those names. This year’s Fall 2026 Issue will premiere in November. 

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, head on over to https://kyfolklifemag.org/submit/. 

The proposal window for this year’s Fall 2026 Issue will open Monday August 31st, and will close Sunday, September 13th, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. CST. 

Once your proposal has been submitted, your work will be reviewed by Kentucky Folklife editorial staff members and additional reviewers. If your proposal is accepted, magazine staff will reach out to you with further information regarding final submission guidelines, deadlines, and contributor + editor partnerships.

Acceptance emails will be sent out no later than Friday, September 18th, 2026. 

All published features are supported with a contributor’s honorarium of $200.

For any questions, comments, or help with your proposal, feel free to reach out to Delainey Bowers and the Kentucky Folklife Program team at kyfolklife@gmail.com.

-KFP-

Established in 1989, the Kentucky Folklife Program (KFP) is the Commonwealth’s statewide public folklife program, with the mission to document, present, and conserve the diverse traditional cultures and heritage of Kentucky. In 2012, the KFP moved from Frankfort to the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at WKU.

For more information, contact KFP Folklife Specialist Camille Maria Acosta: camille.acosta@wku.edu or KFP director Brent Bjorkman:brent.bjorkman@wku.edu 

-WKU-

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.

-WKU Department of Society, Culture, Crime, & Justice Studies-

Here, related social science disciplines unite to foster a deeper appreciation of complex issues affecting individuals, communities, and societies. Our department is dedicated to fostering student success through engaging degree programs and experiential learning that lead to meaningful careers. The discoveries and insights of our academic disciplines provide understanding of and solutions to the social, cultural, and biological causes and consequences of human behavior in the past and present. Explore our programs, engage with our applied research opportunities, and contribute to our mission of creating platforms of social engagement where all can flourish.