“I’m grateful for the many inspiring people and projects I’ve encountered through the Kentucky Folklife Program. KFP connected me to a broader community of artists, documentarians, and cultural organizers that I have continued learning from and collaborating with for nearly 15 years. KFP provides free access to creative, historical, and methodological tools and resources to community-based organizations and individuals working with regional folk groups and practices.”
— Tammy Clemons, Cultural Anthropologist, Adjunct Instructor, & Teaching Artist associated with the KFP Community Scholars Program and the Appalachia- Science in the Public Interest (ASPI); 2024
What are Traveling Exhibits?
Partnering with the incredible Kentucky Museum on Western Kentucky University’s Campus, the KFP has aided in crafting incredible exhibits available for reservation. These beautiful mobile exhibits are perfects teaching tools within your classroom, during a community event, or even as a pop-up exhibit at your local arts council!
How Can I Reserve an Exhibit?
Please visit the following website in order to make a Reservation for a Traveling Exhibit:
Traveling Exhibit Reservation Website/Form
A member of the KFP Staff or the KY Museum Staff will reach out to you within 2 to 3 business days.
What are the Policies to Reserve an Exhibit?
According to the Kentucky Museum Website:
- Reservations are limited to a maximum of two weeks.
- All rentals are subject to availability. Exhibits are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- If you would like a staff member present to discuss the exhibition with your group or for a special event, please let us know. Speaker and mileage fees may apply.
- Please do not request the use of a traveling exhibit unless you can return the exhibit on the agreed upon day. Failure to do so may revoke future loan privilege.
- Fees
- Fees may include mileage to/from the Borrower for setup.
- You may elect to pick up and return the exhibit to the Kentucky Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, during Museum hours of Wednesday through Saturday, 9am to 4pm.
- Damage to panels while they are in your custody will incur a fee for replacement, based on the cost of reproducing the damaged panels.
- All fees are detailed in the loan agreement which will be discussed and provided after submission of the form above.
- Fees may include mileage to/from the Borrower for setup.
What Traveling Exhibits are Available?
The following traveling exhibits are available for reservation from the Kentucky Museum and the Kentucky Folklife Program:
“What Happened to Jonesville?”
Jonesville was an incredibly vibrant African American community in Bowling Green, Kentucky from about 1881 to the 1960s. In the 1960s, the Jonesville neighborhood was acquired under the Urban Renewal Program to make way for the expansion of Western Kentucky University’s campus. Initially, five Jonesville properties were deemed as “interfering” with the university’s expansion plans. When the owners of these properties declined to sell them to the University, condemnation proceedings were initiated. Although the buildings are no longer and many of the people who lived there have passed on, their stories live on through former residents and their descendants. In comes the “What Happened to Jonesville?” traveling exhibit. This exhibit explores and sheds light on the descendants and their stories through Oral History fieldwork conducted by Community Scholars and the Kentucky Folklife Program. This exhibit is sponsored by the African American Heritage Council/Kentucky Heritage Council and includes fifteen (15) retractable panels.
Learn More about the “What Happened to Jonesville?” Exhibit Here:
“A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green”
In the mid-1990s, a war in Bosnia and Herzegovina forced thousands of people into an unthinkable position: either leave their homes in a hurry, or face certain death. For many, there was no time to plan; there was no time to pack. But the most important parts of identity do not need a suitcase. Alongside a few cherished objects, Bosnian refugees brought their traditional arts, customs, and language to Bowling Green during the late 1990s. In 2015, twenty years after the Bosnian war, folklorists in the Kentucky Folklife Program and Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at Western Kentucky University began a collaborative project to document the oral histories of members of the Bosnian American community in Bowling Green. The stories you will hear in this exhibit come from those who have participated in this project.
Learn More about the “A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green” through the following Websites:
The Kentucky Folklife Program Bosnia Project
A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green KFP Website
“Basketmaking: Our Handmade Heritage”
In 2014, KFP began work on a set of exhibit panels highlighting Kentucky’s white oak basketmaking tradition. Funded by an NEA ArtWorks grant, these free-standing, 3′ x 7′ retractable panels incorporate images of basketmakers, their work, and the life narratives of these artists to help contextualize this important local tradition for a wide audience. To enhance the project and provide an even greater understanding of this important regional tradition, KFP also secured funding through the grant to bring basketmakers into each library location for hands-on demonstrations and discussion about their work.
Learn More about the “Basketmaking: Our Handmade Heritage” Exhibit Here:
“Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World”
Crafted by the Smithsonian Institution, The Kentucky Museum now has a traveling exhibit entitled, “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World.” The exhibition details the work of epidemiologists, veterinarians, public health workers, and citizens as they rush to identify and respond to infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola virus, influenza, Zika virus, and COVID-19.
Learn More about the Smithsonian’s “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World” Here:
Kentucky Folklife Program 