Kentucky Museum News

The Kentucky Museum has released their 2023-2024 Annual Report, which details a busy but rewarding year, according to Director Brent Bjorkman.

 “From taking stewardship of the Charles Forrester Sculpture and Hester-Gilbert Basket collections, to continuing the growth of our experiential educational programs for students, to our host of events and exhibits, our team continues to take great pride in developing engaging programming that touches the heart and intellect of all our visitors,” stated Bjorkman in the Director’s Letter.

 Notably, during the 2023-24 year, the Kentucky Museum welcomed 21.9% - that’s over one-fifth – of WKU students through tours, Close Study sessions, and personal visits. Their visitors also included individuals from as far afield as South Africa, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, and China. As stated in the report, the Museum’s Free Admission policy and integrations with WKU courses continue to be major factors for their growing attendance.

 Visitors this past year witnessed several significant moments, including the presentation of the first-ever Student Purchase Award during the Abound Credit Union Celebration of the Arts exhibition, the creation of a mural for the upcoming Sonic Landscape exhibition by art instructor Nellie Lutzwolf and her ART 260 students, and continued tours of What Happened to Jonesville? and the Jonesville mural.

 Visitors were also welcomed for the first year of America250, a series of programming that encourages discussions about our democracy. Funded by Kentucky Humanities and a WKU Research and Creative Activities Program grant, the Museum presented six America250 programs exploring topics on minority stereotypes, “women’s work,” teaching history, African American women’s contributions to suffrage and quilt history, and Indigenous farm life in the Mississippian era of Kentucky. The intentions of these programs were summarized well by one guest speaker Dr. Kathy Bullock: “How can we make a change if we don’t even know what happened? First of all, we need to know and we need to honor those before. Then we get to choose how we respond and what their response would be.”

 Looking ahead, the Museum has a robust schedule of programming – including a second year of America250, the forthcoming Sonic Landscape exhibition, and renovations throughout the building that will increase gallery space and refresh the historic character of the beloved 1939 structure.

 The Museum is also implementing a refocused effort on financial sustainability, with a revamped membership program, Annual Fund, and Wish List for major giving opportunities. Working with the College Heights Foundation, the Museum’s top three priorities are restoring the Kentucky Room, establishing a fund for Student Docent employment, and endowing the Director position.

 “These gift opportunities, combined with annual giving, will foster a financially sustainable future for the Kentucky Museum,” stated Bjorkman. “We rely on gifts and grants for all of our programs, exhibits, and collections care, so achieving these Wish List items will help us ensure that our community’s heritage continues to be preserved and utilized long into the future.”

For more on their record success, download a copy of the Annual Report here.

 To support the Kentucky Museum, become a member or donate to their Annual Fund at https://www.wku.edu/kentuckymuseum/donate.php

 Museum Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: 1444 Kentucky Street, Bowling Green, KY

Admission: Free for general public; Groups of 10+ must register in advance

More Information: https://www.wku.edu/kentuckymuseum/