The Kentucky Museum – Online Exhibits

The Kentucky Museum, WKU Library Special Collections and WKU Archives contain thousands of objects, documents and photographs. While the majority are Kentucky-centric, many reflect the world outside Kentucky and the United States as experienced by Kentuckians. In this space we will showcase some of the international collections housed in the Kentucky Building. Additional information regarding these collections is available through KenCat the online catalog.

Exhibits created about various topics in WKU's history. Notable topics include:

Gemini Jazz Bands

Western 100

The Museum’s fine art prints collection includes serigraphs, lithographs, chromolithographs, etchings, engravings and block prints. The print collection began in earnest in 1975 with a donation of 23 works, chosen by WKU Art Department faculty, partially funded with a National Endowment for the Arts grant. The print collection continued to grow through a 1978 donation by Harry Jackson and from 1980 - 1981 over 50 prints were donated by several people assisted by the Ackerman Foundation. Kentucky artist, Malcolm Arnett, donated a collection of his own block prints and lithographs.

Go to Gallery

In 1855, the Kentucky Superintendent of Public Instruction reported there were 3,575 children of school age in Warren County, Kentucky. An average of 1,107 students actually attended the county's common schools that year. Of the 58 schools reporting, there was one five-month, one six-month and one seven-month school. Two four-month schools were in the count with the remaining 53 being in session for three months.

This website presents over 100 common schools listed in Warren County's Official Record Book of the County Superintendent and other schools which were once or still are a part of the Warren County school system.

As part of the Kentucky Folklife Program’s on-going oral history project, the Kentucky Folklife Program and Kentucky Museum are proud to present a virtual version of the 2016-2018 exhibit, A Culture Carried: Bosnians in Bowling Green (Kulturno naslijeđe Bosanci u Bowling Green-u).

In 2019, the Kentucky Building celebrates 80 years of showcasing South Central Kentucky’s unique culture and heritage. In honor of this milestone, the Kentucky Museum presents Out of the Box, an exhibition focused on fostering multidisciplinary discussions about our collective heritage while shining new light on the relevance of our museum in the 21^st century. 

This virtual exhibit presents the Object Lessons created by faculty, and links to additional resources held by the Kentucky Folklife Program and WKU Department of Library Special Collections. Curated by 11 WKU faculty from 9 departments.

A collaborative exhibition of artwork created by young artists with disabilities and local artists will be on display at the Kentucky Museum. This statewide program was created by Arts for All Kentucky in partnership with the Kentucky Museum.

View the 2021 show here.

The Kentucky Museum presents the annual US Bank Celebration of the Arts exhibit every spring, offering regional artists the chance to showcase their work and be recognized for artistic achievement.

2020 U.S. Bank: Celebration of the Arts