Inspired by the collection of poems Load in Nine Times – especially the poem “Catch Me If You Can” – by Frank X Walker, this is a special tour of our exhibit The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall. Teaching artist Brian West will guide guests through portions of the Commonwealth that document the experience of Black Kentuckians – both free and enslaved – before, during and after the Civil War. He also will read aloud some of the poems written by Walker for the exhibit itself.

What do we know about Kentucky’s Native history and how far back it dates? As part of our exhibition The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall, we know Native Peoples first arrived in the land we now call Kentucky more than 12,000 years ago. As we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, we’ve assembled a panel of experts to give us the facts, dispel the myths, and show us what has been uncovered to reveal the truth. What tribes were here? How did they live and what happened to them? And what about current day in Kentucky and beyond and the stories still unfolding? We’re also inviting guests in our audience to share their native stories.