Current Exhibits

Brain Food

September 25 through January 9

This two part exhibit, Brain Teasers 2 and Every Body Eats, is based on the growing need for good nutrition, not only our body, but for our mind and soul as well. The road to a healthy body is a healthy brain. In the early years of life, nutrition has a decisive influence on physical and mental growth and development, short-term and long term. Poor nutrition is a danger to our health. This exhibit encourages visitors to use creative thinking and problem-solving strategies such as looking for patterns, thinking ahead, setting aside preconceived ideas, and looking at problems from different perspectives. Hands-on problem solving is the theme of these fun, yet elusive, puzzles. Every Body Eats educates vistors about what ingredients are in various foods. Learn how to read nutrition labels, scan items at a mini-supermarket, and find out what an appropriate serving size looks like. This is a highly interactive exhibition that explores nutrition and teaches all of us the science of making healthy food choices. These two Oregon Museum of Science and Industry exhibits will be presented to our visitors of all ages as a fun and entertaining challenge. Kentucky Gateway Museum Center, Maysville. 606/564-5865 or www.KentuckyGatewayMuseumCenter.org.

The Horse in Decorative and Fine Art and Brush Up Your Shakespeare

Through December 23

This exhibit examines the image of the horse and its long history of representation from antiquity to the present day. This exhibit features items from 18 Kentucky museums, private collectors and the Smithsonian Institution. "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" features Neale M. Albert's collection of miniature books and represents the works of William Shakespeare. Headley-Whitney Museum, Lexington. 859/255-6653, www.headley-whitney.org.

Chickasaw Exhibit at Wickliffe Mounds

Through November

This exhibit is on display at the Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site Welcome Center from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The exhibit is about the Chickasaw Nation's history, "Hina Lawa Linoatok: We Have Walked Many Roads," details the history of the Chickasaw people from their creation and migration, the removal years to the BIA's Indian relocation program, the annual Chickasaw festival, contemporary life and celebrated heroes of today. The exhibit is on loan from the Chickasaw Nation, Museum and Historic Sites, Division of History and Culture. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, Wickliffe. For more information, contact the park office at 270/335-3681 or wickliffemounds@ky.gov.

Hoofbeats and Heartbeats: The Horse in American Art

Through November 21

Hoofbeats and Heartbeats will be the first significant exhibition to critically examine the role of the horse in American art, history, and culture. Over 40 paintings and sculptures will be brought together from museums across the country. The exhibition's goal is to engage visitors with the important role that the horse has played in the visual and cultural dialogue of America from the Revolutionary period to present day. The exhibition is scheduled to coincide with Lexington's hosting of the World Equestrian Games, a world championship event in eight equestrian sports and the largest equine sporting event ever held in the United States. The exhibition is divided into four sections that consider how the horse is pictured in American art: on the battlefield, in scenes symbolizing freedom, as a vehicle for physical labor, and as a source of recreation and personal inspiration. These categories generally correspond to chronological periods from the late eighteenth century to present day. The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, 859/257-5717, www.uky.edu/ArtMuseum.

All Things Equine

September 10 through November 12

Enjoy the equine art of talented Stoner Creek Artists along with the art and history of the horses and farms that are distinctly Bourbon County and central Kentucky. The vintage collection of long-time veterinarian Gordon Layton will be featured. Historic Paris-Bourbon County/Hopewell Museum, Paris. 859/987-7274, www.hopewellmuseum.org.

The Horse Soldier: A Tribute to Cavalry in the American Civil War

Through October 31

A new cavalry exhibition that includes items from KHS and other rarely seen artifacts, including "Sue Mundy's" pistol and items from John Hunt Morgan's 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, is now on display in Perryville. Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, Perryville, 859/332-8631.

The Bluegrass Palette of Andre Pater

Through October 10

Polish-born Andre Pater is best known for his spirited oil paintings and lush pastels that are rooted deeply in the American racing industry. A resident of Lexington since 1988, Pater’s subjects range from horsemen riding with the hounds in Kentucky’s rolling hills, to jockeys in their bright silks working Thoroughbreds. The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, 859/257-5717, www.uky.edu/ArtMuseum.

Bill Monroe Centennial Exhibit

Opens September 10

This exhibit is part of the worldwide Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration. This event takes place just three days prior to what would have been Big Mon's 99th birthday. Featured in the Bill Monroe Centennial Exhibit are many of his personal artifacts illustrating the impact of his long and eventful career. Showcased are two major artifacts never before displayed in a museum setting: Uncle Pen's fiddle and the famous headstock veneer from Bill Monroe's mandolin. International Bluegrass Music Museum, Owensboro, 270/926-7891, www.bluegrass-museum.org.

Centennials

Ever wonder what life was like in the 1940s in our region? Did you know one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America was a resident of Covington? How did the rolling hills above Covington become one of the largest urban parks in Greater Cincinnati? This new exhibit answers these and many more questions about three important institutions in our region. Behringer-Crawford Museum, Covington. 859/491.4003, www.bcmuseum.org.