WKU News

The Kentucky Museum has opened two new exhibitions in their second floor gallery, Gloomy Little Trees: Selections from the Ivan Wilson Collection and From Many Hands: The Hester-Gilbert Basket Story. Both exhibitions are on view through mid-October.

Gloomy Little Trees features select works by Calloway County, Ky, native Ivan Wilson. A veteran, art teacher, and world traveler, Wilson's watercolors are known for their many trees - including some very gloomy and spooky ones created in the 1950s and 1960s. Notably, the works were created around the time of Wilson's retirement from teaching at Western Kentucky University. The works feature moody colors and dark, figural trees. Gloomy Little Trees asks viewers to reflect on this period in the artist's life and whether the trees - distinct among his other watercolors - reflect the artist's challenges towards the end of his career.

Another new exhibition, From Many Hands, tells the story of Scott Gilbert and Beth Hester, for whom basketmaking started as curiosity and grew into a lifelong passion and career. Their story is showcased alongside an incredible collection – created and gathered over a lifetime of journeys and friendships – that is both a testament to the skill and community of basketmakers worldwide.

A special tour of From Many Hands with Beth Hester will be held during “White Oak Gathering: Meet the Makers” on August 22 at 12:30 p.m. The tour and Meet the Makers event are open to the public. For more information, click here.

The Museum is free and open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and directions, click here.