WKU News

The Kentucky Museum at WKU has received a $1,000 grant from Bowling Green’s Walmart stores to support the Museum for All Fund, an endowed initiative to ensure perpetual free admission for visitors.

Since 2019, the Kentucky Museum has been free to all visitors, thanks to a pilot program funded by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. During that time, the Museum more than doubled their visitation – from 14,000 visitors in 2019 to over 30,000 in 2021.

“The community response demonstrates that free admission is crucial for our community. In Warren County, nearly one in three families experience poverty, which means that even a small admission fee can be a burden,” stated Brent Bjorkman, the Kentucky Museum’s Director. “We are incredibly grateful for the support from Walmart and our community as we establish the Museum for All Fund – which will ensure that everyone can enjoy access to arts and cultural experiences.”

Support from Walmart and individual donors is helping establish the Fund, which requires $10,000 to become endowed. Donations and grants beyond the initial amount will be added to the Fund, with the goal of growing it to $450,000 by December 2022. Once endowed, the fund’s annual returns provide sustainable support for the Kentucky Museum’s exhibits and programs, including initiatives to diversify collections, provide a living wage for their team, and offer scholarships for community members to attend workshops and camps.

The Museum for All Fund campaign is currently seeking donations through WKU’s SpiritFunder Platform. Click here to make a gift.

About the Kentucky Museum

Founded in 1939, the Kentucky Museum is a teaching institution with premier cultural collections that complement, support, and challenge the academic experiences of WKU students, faculty and staff. It also provides a gathering place for our campus and community to come to know and celebrate who they are as individuals and as Kentuckians in the 21st century. The Museum serves Kentuckians and visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections research.

For more information, contact Tiffany Isselhardt at tiffany.isselhardt@wku.edu.