Amy Kitchener inducted as AFS Fellow, honoring decades of leadership in folklore

We are thrilled to announce that ACTA Co-Founder and Executive Director, Amy Kitchener, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Folklore Society (AFS), the highest recognition in the field of folklore. Announced at the AFS Annual Meeting, this prestigious honor celebrates Amy’s transformative contributions to public folklore as a researcher, advocate, and leader over the past three decades.

Amy’s career began with an M.A. in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA in 1991, and she has since dedicated herself to advancing traditional arts and culture bearers. In 1997, she co-founded the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), transforming it into a powerhouse for cultural advocacy and support. Under her leadership, ACTA has grown from a fledgling organization to a statewide institution with offices in Fresno, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and a $3 million annual operating budget. ACTA supports diverse cultural communities across California through grants, public programs, and initiatives, including working with incarcerated populations.

Beyond ACTA, Amy has made significant national contributions to the field. She served as Chair of the American Folklife Center’s Board of Trustees and plays a key role in the NEA’s National Folklife Network. Her cultural policy work is equally impressive; Amy has co-authored influential reports and papers in which she called for funders to support small grassroots organizations (2012) and commissioned health researchers to explore the connections between well-being and cultural heritage practice back in 2008. These collaborations have positioned Amy as a respected thought leader, particularly in advocating for traditional arts within philanthropic and policy frameworks.

Her recent co-authored publication, Tending the Taproot: Opportunities to Support Folk and Traditional Arts in the U.S., supported by the Mellon Foundation, has become an essential resource for funders, cultural workers and culture bearers.. This fresh re-framing of the impacts of folklife practice outlines the critical role traditional arts play in fostering cultural resilience and community well-being, challenging funders to rethink how they support these art forms.

Established in 1960, the Fellows of the American Folklore Society represent the pinnacle of achievement in the field. They are folklorists advancing through mentorship, public engagement, scholarship, cultural preservation, and service. Amy’s induction as a Fellow underscores her deep dedication to public folklore and her visionary leadership, which has shaped both local and national cultural landscapes. Her work reflects ACTA’s mission of supporting traditional artists and communities while shaping a national dialogue around the importance of cultural democracy.

We are honored to celebrate Amy Kitchener’s induction into this distinguished group and her lifetime of contributions to folklore. Please join us in celebrating this extraordinary achievement and Amy’s remarkable legacy. Congratulations, Amy!