The Kentucky Museum – Upcoming Exhibits

Rather than developing only one distinct sound, South-Central Kentucky has been a site of exchange and collaboration between and across a plurality of genres and styles, which owes its strength to the long history of heterogeneity in the region and the traffic of talent and opportunity between the region’s hub, Bowling Green, and nearby Nashville, TN, one hour south. Produced in partnership with the Kentucky Folklife Program, this multi-year exhibition interprets and contextualizes these rich musical traditions in the region and their influence throughout America.

More information.

How do you learn to quilt? For many, quilt-making begins at home: learning from mothers and grandmothers who pass on this decorative and utilitarian art form. Quilts tell the story of Kentucky families, many of whom have called the region home for generations. Inherited Threads showcases seventeen such families, whose members created quilts now in our permanent collection. They include stories of grandmothers, mothers, daughters, aunts, and sisters - relationships that trasncend time to showcase how quilting is taught and remembered among families, how quilters from different generations exhibit similarities or differences, and how these quilts become beloved family heirlooms. 

The Kentucky Museum presents their annual juried art exhibit, which is truly a celebration of this region’s art. Generously sponsored by Abound Credit Union, any Kentucky resident over the age of 18 and living within 65 miles of Bowling Green was eligible to enter a piece of their original artwork created within the last two years. Monetary awards are given in ten categories as well as for Best of Show, the Purchase Award, the World's Greatest Studio Tour Merit Award, and the Artworks Merit Award.

The Call for Artists will go out in November/December 2025.

Did you know Bowling Green has a huge fine art collection? The Kentucky Museum is home to over 1,000 works of art spanning five centuries of history. In Treasures of the Collection, we showcase 27 of these works from Flemish artist Adriaen Brouwer's The Prize (c. 1630-38) to Harlan Hubbard's Wellsburg, Kentucky, on the Ohio River (late 20th century). Along the way, discover religious scenes, famous portrait artists, one of Bowling Green's own female botanists, the first artist recognized for the use of x-ray technology, and the pioneers of pop art.