America’s Semiquincentennial is being celebrated, and organizations in Morehead have created two exhibits for the event, each a time capsule of the nation’s long history. The Kentucky Folk Art Center and the Rowan County Veterans Museum both capture different aspects of the American story and are open for the public to enjoy.
The KFAC’s exhibit, “Commemorating America 250 at the Kentucky Folk Art Center,” features work of all mediums from the museum’s permanent collection as well as contemporary works based around patriotism.
Hannah Curreri is the Outreach Programs Market and Event Coordinator for Morehead State University’s Alumni Development Office. She said the items in the museum are rooted in Appalachian tradition.
“All the pieces that we have in the America 250 Collection are part of the Kentucky Folk Art Center permanent collection, created by artists who have no formal education in art. So, it is more Appalachian region. All these artists are from within our region,” said Curreri.
The exhibit will be in the gallery through September 30. Wooden carvings, paintings, and more reflect upon different moments in the history of the United States. Curreri said each of these pieces holds more than just artistic significance.
“I think that there are so many opportunities for enrichment despite if you are from the area, if you are young, if you are older. There are so many different things that you can take away and appreciate from this experience because you see pieces of art that had meaning to somebody. They poured their heart into it and made it themselves, but they also wanted to share a story with others,” said Curreri.
Curreri added the stories that these pieces tell is one of the core inspirations for the 250 exhibit, and one of the things she enjoys most about the collection.
“I feel like the most rewarding part of putting together this exhibit is finally seeing the final project come together. You have so many different types of media, you have wood carvings, you have paintings from across time," said Curreri. "It could be a new piece; it could be an old piece. But It is something that still commemorates America and celebrates that same feeling we are wanting to celebrate this year.”
A short walk away, the Rowan County Veterans Museum recently put the final touches on their exhibit, “America: Revolution to Republic.” The exhibit features an immersive experience with period accurate music, documents, and clothing, all centered around the events that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
David Clinger, historian for the Rowan County Veterans Museum, said the exhibit takes the dense history of the nation’s founding and makes it accessible.
“We want people to get a general understanding and a general concept of the time period, the people, the events, the places. So, that way, when they walk through here, they understand: ‘Wow, that’s what it was like in colonial times, what really caused the Revolutionary War,’ and ‘What are some of the things that soldiers had to go through,” said Clinger.
The items on display are housed in the main showroom of the museum, which was previously home to the Naval Bluecoats exhibit. Clinger said the development of the new exhibit was research intensive and referenced records from 1976’s bicentennial and before. He adds the display is thanks to community support.
“People, they always see the finished product. But this room itself took about seven weeks, so, a little over a month and a half. There was a repaint involved, sourcing all the items. We had a lot of donations; we had things from people’s personal collections,” said Clinger.
“America: Revolution to Republic,” ties into other exhibits inside the veterans museum, all of which champion 250 years of veterans’ experiences. Officials said the feature will be open for the rest of the year, until December 31.
Clinger notes this year is a celebration of American culture, but it is important to remember where the nation got started.
“We were an experiment, the great experiment it has been called. It has thrived; it has survived. Here we are now 250 years later pretty much the example, I would say, to the world in terms of where we came from,” said Clinger.
Hannah Curreri said another America 250 exhibit is set to come to the Kentucky Folk Arts Center later this summer. “Power of Place: Appalachian Crafts from Function to Heritage” will be open from July 31 to August 26, and a reception with artist Terry Ratliff will be held on August 6. The Rowan County Veterans Museum will be open, rain or shine, for Morehead’s rescheduled Freedom Fest celebration on July 11.