DELAINEY BOWERS
FOLKLORIST + ARCHIVIST + LIBRARIAN
FIELDWORK + PROGRAMS
Weaving together elements of research, planning, collaboration, and presentation, the following selection of materials provides an overview of the fieldwork and programs I've been involved with throughout my time in the folk studies program.
BIG BAD WRASSLER
Ethnographic Video Production
From chokeslams to powerbombs, face paint to feather boas, the field of independent professional wrestling is teeming with occupational folklore that celebrates athleticism, technique, and personal triumph.
In the spring of 2018 I, along with my teammates Kate McElroy and Joel Chapman, worked closely with the men and women of Kentucky Elite Pro Wrestling, an independent circuit based out of Frankfort, Kentucky. Over the course of several months, we interviewed, filmed, and photographed pro wrestlers as they worked hard to perfect their performative talents.
Our fieldwork was eventually turned into a short ethnographic film titled BIG BAD WRASSLER.
JIM'S NEW LIFE TAXIDERMY
Folk Art and Technology, Women's Folklife
Jim McIntosh is a bi-vocational pastor who lives and works in Butler County, Kentucky. When he's not preparing sermons, he's preparing taxidermied animal mounts to be showcased in homes and businesses across the region. For the last 20 years, McIntosh has owned and operated Jim's New Life Taxidermy and works closely with the local hunting community to provide highly sought after displays.
During the fall of 2018, I had the opportunity to watch McIntosh in action as he processed dozens of deer at the height of Modern Gun season. Sharing with me his earliest memories of starting his career as a taxidermist, McIntosh crafted a narrative that highlighted a deep connection to his family, his congregation, and his craft. The fieldwork eventually culminated in research papers for both my Women's Folklife and Folk Art and Technology courses.
KENTUCKY CRAFTED MARKET
Folklore and Education
In collaboration with the Kentucky Arts Council, our Folklore and Education class worked towards creating an interactive exhibit at the 2019 Kentucky Crafted Market in Lexington. Titled "Woven Treasures," the exhibit highlighted the lives of both traditional and contemporary basketmakers across the state. Focusing on materials, tools, designs, and apprenticeships, our group partnered with artists to underscore the timelessness of weaving. The exhibit also included a narrative stage and hands-on area where attendees could craft their own commercial-reed basket.
Additionally, I attended the 2018 Kentucky Crafted Market in Louisville where I worked with the Kentucky Arts Council's traveling exhibit, "The Makings of a Master: Kentucky Folk Art Apprenticeships." Exploring broader folkloric themes through dance, music, art, and storytelling, the "Makings of a Master" exhibit offers an immersive experience into the world of dynamic folk communities.
COMMUNITY HERITAGE DAY
Kentucky Folklife Program, WKU Folklife Archives
Supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Program grant, "Community Heritage Day: Digitizing Your Story" was a community-driven program aimed at digitally preserving photographs, letters, deeds, and other personal items. Sponsored by the Kentucky Folklife Program, WKU Library Special Collections, and the Kentucky Museum, visitors were given digitized copies of their materials to take home for safekeeping.
I had the opportunity to digitize several small collections while listening to the deeply nuanced stories behind their creation. Once the program was finished, I was responsible for accessioning, cataloging, and generating a finding aid for the collection as a whole. A finding aid for the materials, which are stored in the WKU Folklife Archives, can be found here.
HORSE CAVE HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Public Folklore
Every year the city of Horse Cave in Hart County, Kentucky hosts the Horse Cave Heritage Festival. Featuring antique tractors, food trucks, parades, artist tents, and historic walking tours, the festival is a celebration of community, family, and memory.
As part of a Public Folklore course, our class partnered with the Kentucky Folklife Program to host several narrative stages with residents of Horse Cave whose stories may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Up-and-coming musicians, former athletes, farmers market vendors, and members of the Southern Kentucky Film Commission were only a handful of the narrative stage participants who were more than willing to share their life experiences with a public audience.
In addition to presenting a narrative stage, I logged and indexed interviews, monitored the sound system, and photographed events over the course of the festival.