The Kentucky Museum maintains a blog that features “object stories” highlighting research conducted in our collections and related to exhibitions and community history. This research is conducted by staff, WKU students and faculty, and community members.
by Tiffany Isselhardt, Exhibits Curator One of my favorite things to do on tours is to surprise guests. What is the most unexpected item on display? What story challenges our assumptions? At first glance, this seems to be a traditional Applique Christmas Tree quilt....
What do we do with objects are brought in to our care?? How do we get them ready for an exhibit? Where do we put it all?
Learn more about our process for intaking loans and donations as we gear up for Sonic Landscape.
Operating from 1968 to 1979, the Gemini band served as local entertainment and a USO touring show.
By Megan Aldridge and Bryan Morey Sometimes museum objects are a total mystery to museum staff. Back in the early days of museums, record-keeping was often spotty at best. Sometimes there were little to no records to keep. Take, for instance, the Kentucky Museum’s...
The basketmakers of Southcentral Kentucky have always followed steadfast construction principles while developing their own unique styles and artistic visions. Most Kentucky makers learned hands on with a family member or a person in their community. Early learning...
What do you think of when you hear the ABC’s? Do you think about the song, blocks or other children’s toys? What about embroidery samplers? Or a quilt? This object story asks you to travel back in time with us to learn about the alphabet’s numerous appearances in textiles, how it evolved, and how important it is to historians today.
Ever wondered how we store over 300 quilts? Learn all about it in this article by Alex Truesdell.
The below is the script for Season 5, Episode 7 of our podcast, Dime Stories. Listen to the episode on Anchor, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Today, we continue looking at the stories of individual enslaved women, this time with the more infamous of the two: Margaret...
The below is the script for Season 5, Episode 5 of our podcast, Dime Stories. Listen to the episode on Anchor, Google Podcasts, or Spotify. Today, we continue looking at the spaces where women contributed to forming Kentucky’s well-known institutions. But unlike Mary...