Arts Council
Community scholars discover the diversity of traditions in their own backyard

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 5, 2012) — The Kentucky Folklife Program honored 22 Louisville and Irvington residents who met the standards to become certified Community Scholars on April 23, at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage in Louisville.

“The purpose of the Community Scholars Program is to help communities discover the diversity of traditions in their own backyard,” said Bob Gates, director of the Kentucky Folklife Program. “Kentuckians are passionate about their cultural traditions and local history, but they may not know how to identify and present those traditions that are unique to their communities.”

The program trains community members in the folklorist's skills of conducting cultural surveys and helps them apply what they learn to enhance their heritage tourism efforts and educational programs. Each graduate completed a series of six workshops and fieldwork assignments, which included interviewing, photography, archiving, interpretation and presentation. Their projects covered a wide range of topics including urban agriculture, family history, writer’s groups, historic reenactment, dance, the Louisville Greek Orthodox community and folk art.

Participants gained experience in documenting and presenting their cultural resources that can be used in historical societies, tourism sites, festivals, libraries and other community organizations and programs. The long-term result will be a network of local cultural researchers who will continue to learn from each other and share the results of their fieldwork with the people of Kentucky.

“This was our biggest and most diverse group yet,” said Amanda Hardeman, Kentucky Folklife Program folklife specialist. “Based on the passion, dedication and diligence presented by this group, I have no doubt that they will be capable of conserving aspects of their local culture for generations to come.”

The Kentucky Folklife Program partnered with the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage and the Jefferson County Public School System to make the community scholars training available in the Louisville area. Through this partnership, the Community Scholars Program was offered as a professional development opportunity for Jefferson County educators including Azucena Chamberlain, Harlina Churn-Diallo, Rosemaria Maum, Valeska McNeill and Lynette Taylor.

Other graduates included Louisville community members Marna Miller, Erma Bush, Casey Henry, George Eklund, Judith Owens-Lalude, Connie Harper, Stephanie Moyer, Tony Dingman, Scott Scarboro, Vicki Kastanis, Shannon Floyd, Taylor Killough, Maggie Poe and Mary Cartledge-Hayes.

Two participants, Julie Barksdale and Rebecca Brown, of Irvington, completed the course with intentions of using the skills they learned to conduct their own citywide oral history called the Irvington Heritage Project.

For more information about the Community Scholars Program, contact Amanda Hardeman at amanda.hardeman@ky.gov or 502-564-1792, ext. 4555.

The Kentucky Folklife Program identifies, documents, conserves and presents the Commonwealth's diverse cultural traditions through concerts, exhibits, narrative stages, archives, grant programs and classroom and community partnerships. It is an interagency program of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council supported with state tax dollars and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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