Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology News

The Kentucky Folklife Program is pleased to welcome Camille Acosta, of Bowling Green, and a native of El Paso, Texas, as the new Folklife Specialist. She began the position on March 27th, 2023.

Acosta has been involved with the world of folklore studies and the fascinating performance of narrative all her life. After completing her BA in Theatre, she continued on to pursue an MA in Folk Studies at Western Kentucky University in May of 2021. While pursuing her MA degree, Acosta served as the Graduate Assistant for the award-winning WKU Forensics Team. Whether she was coaching Forensics students on the power of using their voices for social justice or exploring the impact of art and performance in cultural settings, the importance of folk narrative helped her gain the confidence to fight for her own story. Her research emphasized the necessity of storytelling and oral history for under-privileged Chicano communities as well as the brilliance of Latinx ‘monster-lore’ in the fight for social survival. Ever since listening to her father’s renditions of scary Mexican legends as a child, the ability to communicate through story has always been an aspiration of hers to uphold.

As Folklife Specialist, Acosta will aid in coordinating the Kentucky Folklife Program’s day-to-day management which includes program coordination, grant writing, cross-cultural event organization, statewide outreach, as well as serving as a mentor to Folk Studies students. She is looking forward to utilizing her admiration for people and the human experience to craft gateways of diversity within the Kentucky Folklife Program and beyond, and most of all, helping individuals to be reminded of the importance of their own stories.

“We are so excited to have Camille join us as our Folklife Specialist,” said Brent Bjorkman, Director of the KFP and Kentucky Museum. “She brings to the folklife program a deep love of working to share and validate community voices.  As a passionate public folklorist, she will add immensely to the KFP’s documentation and educational outreach work in new and inventive ways.”

Acosta has a master’s degree in Folk Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Western Kentucky University. She began her new role on March 27th, 2023.

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 director Brent Bjorkman: (270) 745-4133, brent.bjorkman@wku.edu.