WKU News

The Visual Journalism & Photography program in WKU’s School of Media & Communication announces the opening of an exhibition in Jody Richards Hall gallery featuring more than 60 images and short-form documentaries of the people and places of Paris and Bourbon County as part of the 47^th annual Mountain Workshops.

The exhibition titled Horses. History. Hospitality. And the richness of the people will be on display January 16-February 16. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday. The gallery will be closed when WKU is closed due to weather or for holidays.

Nestled in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, with a verdant, gently rolling landscape, Bourbon County is home to elegant Thoroughbred farms and multimillion-dollar racehorses. But, as Bourbon County Judge-Executive Michael Williams says, it’s the richness of the people who make this Kentucky community unique. From a revitalized Main Street in Paris, brimming with local stores, to the tiny hamlets of Millersburg, North Middletown, Clintonville and Centerville, there is a palpable sense of pride among the people who inhabit Bourbon County’s 292 square miles.

More than 60 student and professional photographers and videographers from around the nation, along with a staff of nearly 40 teachers, editors and assistants, spent the last week of October 2023 capturing the stories of this distinctive American community. 

About the Mountain Workshops: As the leaves fall annually, the WKU Visual Journalism & Photography program’s Mountain Workshops draws together a team of dedicated teachers and determined participants for a week of compelling storytelling in Kentucky. Together they explore the richness of these communities, the lives of the people who live in them, and the beauty of the landscapes. Participants gain hands-on experience telling stories in the documentary tradition. In return, the community receives a unique document of their county through both compelling visual imagery and written stories.

Currently, an unprecedented 40 counties in the state of Kentucky have been documented in a historically significant way. In its early years, the Mountain Workshops also documented five communities in north-central Tennessee, part of the Cumberland Gap region the two states share. For a unique journey through the Mountain Workshops 48-year history, view the documentary at http://mountainworkshops.org/history/.

Contact: Tim Broekema, tim.broekema@wku.edu