Current Exhibits
Moments of Merit: Select Pieces of Saddlebred History
Through December 30This exhibition will feature highlights from the American Saddlebred Museum’s collection, an eclectic grouping of art, sculpture, photographs and memorabilia - many never before offered for public display, along with several new pieces of Saddlebred history. Kentucky Horse Park, at the American Saddlebred Museum, Lexington, 859/259-4209 or www.KyHorsePark.com.
Great Revivals: Kentucky Decorative Arts Treasures
This exhibit presents significant pieces from the Kentucky Historical Society collections that have been preserved and are treasured. Great Revivals highlights five stylistic periods from 1800 to 1920 and important decorative arts from each. Located in two galleries inside the Old State Capitol, visitors can see the changing tastes of Kentuckians during the Federal, Greek Revival, Rococo Revival, Gothic Revival, and Aesthetic eras. Family-friendly interactives will engage audiences of all ages.Treasures on display include a hand-carved stained oak cabinet, dated 1892. The cabinet was made by Kentuckian Kate Mosher, an important woman woodcarver. Also on display is an 1870 giraffe or harp piano, an unusual and fragile artifact. Portraits of Russian Czar Alexander II and Czarina Maria Alexandorvna, donated by Cassius M. Clay, are among the Society's stellar holdings. Additional artifacts include fine furniture, paintings, silver, and ceramics. Paintings by Kentucky favorite Paul Sawyier are also featured.
The exhibition name, Great Revivals, is a play on the multiple revivals of stylistic designs and the religious fervor of early Kentucky. In addition, the name applies to the revival of the Old State Capitol.
Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for youth ages 6-18. Children five and under are free. Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and include admission to both Great Revivals: Kentucky Decorative Arts Treasures and the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort. 502/564-1792, www.history.ky.gov.
Gifted Hands: Ceramic Work by Cliff Lee
July 27 - October 3The world lost a brain surgeon but gained an artist when Cliff Lee gave up the operating room for a potter’s studio. Using his skilled hands to form clay and his scientifically trained mind to discover the lost formulas of ancient Chinese glazes, Lee has become nationally known for his exquisite porcelain pieces. Lee’s work is included in important collections throughout the country including the White House, the Smithsonian, and the Renwick Gallery and now the Art Museum at the University of Kentucky. The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, 859/257-5717, www.uky.edu/ArtMuseum.
Waco and the Bybees: Central Kentucky Art Pottery, 1900 to 1935
Through September 27Celebrate the century old tradition of Central Kentucky pottery artisans. This exhibit spotlights the art pottery of Cornelison Bybee, Waco, Genuine Bybee, and Selden Bybee. Valued for its design and complex glazes, over one hundred pieces of this sought-after pottery will be on display. Historic Paris-Bourbon County/Hopewell Museum, Paris. 859/987-7274, www.hopewellmuseum.org.
Harlan Hubbard: the Complexity of Simplicity
July 12-September 20Often called “A Modern Day Thoreau,” Harlan Hubbard (1900 – 1988) celebrated the complexity in simple acts of daily living. Hubbard was an artist, author, gardener, eco-pioneer, husband and river man; born in Bellevue, KY and raised in Ft. Thomas, he and his wife for over 40 years, Anna settled in Payne Hollow, KY after a period living aboard a shantyboat. This exhibit explores how Hubbard lived his personal credo, “Everything I need is at hand,” and demonstrates through word and image his lifestyle, which was devoted to living off personal labors. Imagery and texts displayed will describe the Hubbards’ shantyboat journey down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers into the Louisiana Bayou. Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington. 859/491.4003, www.bcmuseum.org.
City/Country: Photography from the Henry V. Heuser, Jr. Collection
Through September 13This exhibition presents highlights from more than 500 works, generously donated or loaned to the Speed by Louisville businessman and philanthropist Henry V. Heuser, Jr. This celebration of Heuser’s achievement as a collector and museum supporter features work by some of this country’s most important American photographers, including Harry Callahan, Ray Metzker, and Garry Winogrand. The Speed Art Museum, Louisville. 502/634-2700, www.speedmuseum.org.
Arte en la Charreria: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture
Through September 11Containing more than 340 examples of the excellent craftsmanship and design distinctive to the Mexican cowboy, this exhibition highlights the very essence of the Mexican experience exemplified by the culture of the charro, or Mexican cowboy. Intricately hand-crafted objects such as saddles, costumes, textiles, silver and iron work illustrate the life of the charro and a rich legacy of tradition and valor, honor and custom, and war and peace. Kentucky Horse Park, at the International Museum of the Horse, Lexington, 859/259-4209 or www.KyHorsePark.com.
Beyond the Log Cabin: Kentucky’s Abraham Lincoln
Through September 6The Commonwealth’s signature Lincoln bicentennial exhibition, tells the story of Lincoln’s lifelong engagement with Kentucky and Kentuckians. Through engaging imagery, art, historical objects, portraits, and Lincoln’s own words, this exhibition illustrates the relationships that shaped Lincoln’s life, helped to pave the way for his political rise and, during the Civil War, kept Kentucky in the Union. The Speed Art Museum, Louisville. 502/634-2700, www.speedmuseum.org.
Ed Hamilton’s Lincoln
Through September 6This exhibit takes you through the artist’s process in creating the Louisville Waterfront Park Lincoln Memorial. The memorial, created by Louisville sculptor, Ed Hamilton, portrays a young, seated Abraham Lincoln reading a book. The exhibition features early clay studies, plaster models, drawings, and the 12-foot final model of the Lincoln monument, as well as Hamilton’s sketches for panels of bas-relief sculptures depicting scenes of slavery and Lincoln’s extraordinary life. The Speed Art Museum, Louisville. 502/634-2700, www.speedmuseum.org.
Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life
Through AugustWhales compose, bullfrogs chorus, songbirds greet the dawn, and people everywhere sing and dance. What do we all have in common? Long before the advent of iTunes, the musical instinct ran deep. Wild Music explores evidence for the biological origins of music through highly interactive exhibits and exceptional sound experiences—and in the process, expands our understandings of what makes music. With its multicultural content, careful attention to accessibility, and rich menu of public programs and performances, Wild Music offers broad appeal for diverse, intergenerational audiences.Wild Music has put a priority on accessibility, particularly for people who are blind and have low vision. All areas are designed for easy access by wheelchair users, many include tactile elements, and all have Braille and audio labels. Louisville Science Center, Louisville. 502/560-7175, www.louisvillescience.org.
The Fabulous Fifties: Elvis to Einstein
Through AugustThis new exhibit in the Clothing & Textiles Room takes you back to the days of poodle skirts and saddle oxfords. View clothing, hats and shoes as well as a special exhibit of memorabilia from The Bluegrass Grill. Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, Ashland. 606/329-8888, www.highlandsmuseum.com.
Music Through The Ages
Through JulySee how people enjoyed music prior to the days of compact discs and mp3s. Explore sheet music, sound playback devices and musical recordings as well as the history behind recorded sound. Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, Ashland. 606/329-8888, www.highlandsmuseum.com.
Famous African-Americans of Bourbon County
Through July 26This photographic exhibit focuses on Bourbon Countians who led the way toward a brighter future for African Americans. Featured is Garrett Morgan, Mae Taylor Street Kid, Elisha Green and Isaac Murphy along with pictures of “ordinary heroes” of the region. Historic Paris-Bourbon County/Hopewell Museum, Paris. 859/987-7274, www.hopewellmuseum.com.
Faces of Faith: the Search for the Divine,”Art Quilts by Penny Sisto
Through July 11In this new exhibit, Penny Sisto examines commonalities in five world religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. International presentations of her work include the exhibition of a grouping of Holocaust quilts at the Gatehouse of Auschwitz and a selection of her Slavery series quilts that were displayed at the Royal Armories Museum in Leeds, England in 2008. She has won numerous awards and honors for her artwork and has been the subject of two public television programs. She is known for the difficult subjects, such as AIDS, poverty and racism that she addresses in her works, as she advocates for social justice and peace. Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, Indiana. 812/944-7336 or www.carnegiecenter.org.
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New Winds from Asia
Through July 7Quilting has caught the creative imagination of artists in Asia. Curated by Naomi Ichikawa, this exhibit of quilts from Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan provides an exceptional view of works only to be seen in the United States at The National Quilt Museum. The National Quilt Museum, Paducah. 270/442-8856. www.quiltmuseum.org.
Best of Show: 25 Years of Quilting Excellence
Through July 6A rare opportunity to see ALL the Best of Show winning quilts from the past 25 years of the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show and Contest. The National Quilt Museum, Paducah. 270/442-8856. www.quiltmuseum.org.
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