Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology News

On November 9th, the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) presented the Kentucky Folklife Program, part of the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at Western Kentucky University (WKU), and the Kentucky Museum with a Kentucky History Award in the category of Community Impact for the exhibit, “A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green.” On display at the Kentucky Museum through May 11, 2019, the exhibit is an outgrowth of the Kentucky Folklife Program’s Bowling Green Bosnia Oral History Project, an ongoing effort in partnership with WKU Folk Studies to document the experiences and traditions of the local Bosnian-American community.

“The staff of the Kentucky Folklife Program, Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology, and Kentucky Museum have continued to dedicate ourselves to helping tell the life stories of Kentuckians closely aligned to the Commonwealth,” said Brent Björkman, Director of the Kentucky Folklife Program and Kentucky Museum. “We are profoundly honored to be recognized with this Community Impact Award from KHS for this ongoing Bosnian Oral History Project, a project that continues to validate and share the intimate journey so many of our South Central Kentucky neighbors have taken to become part of our community today.”

KFP opened the exhibit to coincide with WKU’s International Year of Bosnia and Herzegovina programming during the academic year 2017-2018 and also produced such campus-wide public programs as Bosnian coffee demonstrations, a Balkan musical performance, and Bosnian dessert tastings to better engage the Bowling Green community in cultural expressions that are important to the Bosnian community. KFP also created a digital companion version of the exhibit that will live on after the physical exhibit at the Kentucky Museum ends this May. The project website can be viewed by visiting the website: www.kfpbosniaproject.org

This award is among 12 KHS presented at its annual membership meeting and History Awards presentation. The Kentucky History Awards honor individuals, organizations, and communities for their efforts to promote and preserve state and local history.

A complete list is at: https://history.ky.gov/2018/11/13/kentucky-historical-society-announces-2018-kentucky-history-award-winners/

Image caption: Brent Bjorkman, Virginia Siegel, and Denis Hodzic were present at the Old State Capitol Building in Frankfort, Kentucky to receive the award on behalf of the Kentucky Folklife Program and the Bowling Green Bosnia Oral History Project Committee.