As we celebrate the Frazier History Museum’s 20th year, our guest services team is thrilled to share our excitement with you. Spread the love to friends and family nationwide with our $20 LucKY Valentine!

Introducing the Valentine Horseshoes—a perfect blend of luck and sweetness. Each horseshoe comes with a genuine story, having been worn by a thoroughbred on a renowned track. It’s not just about luck; there’s a touch of mud and grass, too, adding an authentic charm.

Each horseshoe package also includes milk chocolate coins from Muth’s Candies, a local confectioner sweetening Louisville since 1921. And to make it even more special, a personalized note from you, handwritten by our team, is tucked in the package. For only $20, get the entire package delivered anywhere in the continental US by ordering online. Treat your pals, whether they’re next door or miles away, to a slice of Kentucky coolness!

Looking for a unique experience? Grab the $20 Flight Club or the $20 Craft Your Own Cocktail deal. This special anniversary pricing includes a Bourbon tasting experience and museum admission. First, the Flight Club offers a thirty-minute blind tasting across brands, challenging and educating you about Bourbon. Second, in the Craft Your Own Cocktail Experience, presented by Old Forester, learn to make the Official Cocktail of Louisville, the Old Fashioned. No advanced reservation is needed for this thirty-minute experience. Craft a cocktail and explore the museum, all for just $20.

For those who love all things Kentucky, check out our $20 Kentucky Bundles at the Museum Shop. We’ll be releasing new bundles throughout the year, starting with a Frazier Museum magnet, a Y’All sticker, and a Kentucky state flag—a $30 value if purchased separately, yours for $20! Stay tuned for more on those.

Celebrate the spirit of Kentucky with these fantastic offerings from the Frazier History Museum.

Mindy Johnson
VP of Operations
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

To mark our 20th anniversary, each month in 2024 we’ll publish a new 20-item listicle in Frazier Weekly. Today we’re spotlighting 20 things you can anticipate at the Frazier this year!

1. A 20th Anniversary Gala. Join us Friday, April 12, for A Night at the Museum: Celebrating 20 Years of the Frazier, presented by Fifth Third Bank!

2. $20 Memberships. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re offering $20 Individual Memberships!

3. Free Admission for 20-Year-Olds. That’s right: if you’re 20 years old, you get free admission to the Frazier!

4. $20 Bourbon Tastings. Our certified Bourbon Stewards will offer $20 Old Fashioned Classes and $20 Flight Clubs!

5. $20 Gift Bundles. Guests can purchase $20 Valentine’s Day horseshoe bundles and $20 Kentucky tchotchke bundles in our Museum Shop, where the world shops Kentucky.

6. 20-Item Listicles. Each month in Frazier Weekly, we’ll publish a new listicle—such as the 20 best objects or the 20 best exhibitions—celebrating the museum and its rich history.

7. A 20th Anniversary Program. Join us for a panel discussion celebrating 20 years of the Frazier History Museum with folks who’ve played a part in our two-decade history!

8. A ’20s-Themed Speakeasy. Our annual Michter’s Speakeasy at the Frazier will return this summer with 1920s fashion, live music, cocktails, and more!

9. 20-Minute Gallery Tours. Every day, our education team members will lead multiple gallery tours of our exhibitions—including several 20th anniversary-themed tours!

10. 120: Cool KY Counties Exhibit Opening. An interactive new exhibit on Kentucky’s 120 counties (a multiple of 20!) housed in our Cool Kentucky exhibition will open!

11. 20th Anniversary Photos. Each Monday in Frazier Weekly, we’ll share a neat photo from our digital archives documenting the history of the museum!

12. 20th Anniversary Camps and Field Trips. Our education team will nod to our 20-year history in camps, field trips, and youth and family programs—and connect with campers from our past!

13. 2024 Bourbon Programs. The Frazier will host Bourbon programs highlighting Old Forester, Blue Run Spirits, Log Still Distillery, and more!

14. 2024 Bridging the Divide Programs. The Frazier will host programs on the March on Frankfort, Newburg’s Eliza Tevis, MLB’s “Happy” Chandler, the Norton West Louisville Hospital, and more!

15. 2024 Summer Beer Fest at Frazier. Our annual fundraiser Summer Beer Fest at Frazier will return for its fourth year!

16. 2024 Frazier Classic. Shooters, take aim: the museum will organize its ninth annual Owsley Brown Frazier Classic Sporting Clay Tournament!

17. Founder’s Gallery Exhibition Updates. In April, we’ll update our Founder’s Gallery, which pays homage to our founder Owsley Brown Frazier (1935–2012).

18. Lewis & Clark Exhibition Updates. We’ll also make some much-needed updates to our Lewis & Clark Experience, an immersive third-floor exhibition the museum opened in 2015.

19. Eliza Tevis Exhibit Updates. Students in a U of L history course will make updates and additions to She Did What She Could: Eliza Tevis and the Origins of Newburg, a guest-curated exhibit.

20. KentuckyShow! Updates. An updated version of the multimedia production KentuckyShow!¸ which airs five times daily in the Frazier’s Brown-Forman Theatre, will debut June 1!

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

In 2024, we find several Kentucky musicians who have been nominated for a Grammy.

Kentuckians Chris Stapleton (Johnson County), Carly Pearce (Kenton County), Tyler Childers (Lawrence County), Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House (Laurel County), and Louisville Orchestra Conductor Teddy Abrams are all nominees to win Grammys for the 66th Grammy Awards. Stapleton has been nominated in multiple categories, including BEST COUNTRY SONG and BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE. He also shares a nomination with Pearce for the country music duet “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

Meanwhile, Childers has also been nominated in several categories: BEST COUNTRY ALBUM, BEST COUNTRY SONG, BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE, and BEST AMERICANA PERFORMANCE. He shares a BEST MUSIC VIDEO nomination with House for “In Your Love.”

Louisville Orchestra maestro Teddy Abrams has been nominated as a composer in the BEST CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO category. Abrams, along with solo pianist Yuja Wang and composer Michael Tilson Thomas, has been nominated for the recording of the piano concerto The American Project.

Lastly, Paducah native Miki Abraham—though not nominated—was involved in an original cast recording of a Broadway Musical that has been nominated for a Grammy: SHUCKED.

To get a better perspective on these nominees, I sat down for an interview with two of my colleagues: curator of guest experience Mick Sullivan and grants manager and writer Kent Klarer. Mick and Kent are not only exceptional employees but accomplished musicians, as well. During our discussion Kent and Mick highlighted several topics related to the nominees: Stapleton and Childers’ mainstream appeal, Dollywood’s importance to newcomers in country music, the debut of The American Project at Whitney Hall by the Louisville Orchestra, and, serendipitously, Abrams’ homage to Rhapsody in Blue.

Near the end of the interview, Kent shares his own anecdote about Miki Abraham’s hometown of Paducah.

I hope you will enjoy this conversation about Kentucky’s Grammy nominees with Mick and Kent.

INTERVIEW: BRIAN, MICK, AND KENT ON KENTUCKY MUSICIANS AT 66TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Brian: (to Kent and Mick) Thanks guys for joining me. We are all here today to talk about this year’s Grammy nominees who have Kentucky ties. … I am not a musician. I am not learned about the art of music; so, Mick and Kent are kind enough to join me and talk about this year’s nominees.

First, I’ll start out with Mick. He’s gonna talk about three of the nominees: Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton, and Carly Pearce.

Mick: Yeah, those … I have always been surprised … well, not surprised; for the last five or six years (maybe more, I don’t know) it seems like Eastern Kentucky has like really had a moment in country music that has broader appeal, like Chris Stapleton. He was born in Lexington, he grew up around Paintsville, Johnson County, and Tyler Childers is from the county which is just north of that. And when you factor in Sturgill Simpson – who I think is largely based in Lexington – they all have a group of musicians that they almost kind of share. I have met some of those guys. Like, I know J.T. Cure and Jesse Wells. They seem to kind of float around in the same sphere, and with the same musicians. And, I know that they knew each other before they were famous too!

So, like, there’s definitely something really unique about what’s going on there and who has come out of there recently.

And, they also kind of cross this weird genre thing, where a lot of them have in traditional music, like Bluegrass. And they’re making what is categorized as “Country Music”, but it has a broader appeal than like country music fans –

Brian: Yeah –

Mick: -- like rock fans like it. But, it also – like there’s something about it that almost feels like the “Outlaw Country” of the 1980s, like Waylon Jennings –

Brian: Yeah! Like Waylon Jennings…

Mick: Yeah! Cause it’s like –

Brian: -- Merle Haggard …

Mick: Yeah! And, like, the whole thing about that genre of music in the ‘80s – that kind of echoes through what I feel like is centered around, you know, that area of Kentucky and that pocket of musicians [now]– is that it’s … um … it, it feels more honest than a lot of the country music stuff that is like heavily produced. And, obviously, like A&R talent people are finding people from all walks of life, and just trying to make “stars”, you know, because they got a nice voice or they look good on-camera or that sort of stuff.

Like, those guys … um … like, are really, really strong musicians, and they are surrounded by really strong musicians. And they got really strong ties to the traditions of their area, I know, at least with a lot of the band members in those bands; I would assume it’s the same with Chris, and Tyler, to a degree too. Like, a lot of those people, their parents played music. (Laughs) So, it’s like –

Brian: -- it’s like they grew up with it –

Mick: Yeah!

Brian: -- through osmosis –

Mick: Yeah!

Mick: And, the people that I know from that area that are musicians: everyone is a musician. Like, they cross, you know, they share ideas and … they play traditional … you know … fiddle music – like old-time folk music – you know, bluegrass (as we know it from the ‘40s and ‘50s into its incarnations currently). But, then there are also … and they have taken that … and that’s going to be an influence on how they create … you know … their brand of country, which is also – in many cases – like rocks pretty hard!

Brian: Yeah; I’ve … I’ve … I’ve had a hard time trying to pin down ... like, if I were to encapsulate into one genre, especially Chris Stapleton’s music, you know , I … you know, wanna call it “Rock”, but it’s kind of like – almost – like “Americana” – but It’s not –

Mick: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Brian: It’s …

Mick: Yeah. But, I mean like --

Brian: … It’s very fluid.

Mick: Yeah, it is! I mean, the only time I have ever seen him, he was the headliner, one night, at Forecastle, I was working. And, uh, he appealed to everyone in … I, I mean, the only other concert that I have been to, that’s like big name and that I could look around and be like, “he’s really appealing to a lot of different people”, was, um, was … I was at a Tom Petty concert, and was like …

Brian: (laughs) heh

Mick: It had the same sort of vibe. It wasn’t the same music, by any stretch, but, I mean, just like the ability to appeal to, you know, young and old, and [to] people who are Rock, and people who are Country.

So, I mean, you know, it’s really cool and it’s, you know, it’s neat that they’re all having a moment. But, it’s also really neat that they are being honored … you know, really, in one of the biggest ways possible for a musician. Like, Grammy nominations are a big deal.

Brian: It is. It is. Um … and, um, I just um ... I know Chris Stapleton has been nominated before, and he’s won before. I don’t know [if] Childers has been nominated before. Silas House [the Kentucky author and poet who is highlighted in our COOL KY exhibit] has not been nominated before. I think this is his first [Grammy] nomination. He … I think he wrote or produced the video “In Your Love.” You have any impressions of that music video, which I think is also Grammy-nominated?

Mick: I … I don’t. I can’t speak very intelligently on that. So, I’ll say no.

Brian: Ok. … No, That’s fine. That’s fine.

Mick: I am glad it happened –

Brian: -- Yeah. Yeah.

Mick: But, even across the board, you look at Chris Stapleton, and I mean, I guess that’s my point about seeing him live. He appealed to all sorts of people. And I realize that Chris Stapleton’s different from Tyler –

Brian: Right, Right, Right –

Mick: But, I mean Tyler’s the same way; I mean, like, like, Tyler … is … like … during Covid … he quit (pauses briefly)… like he didn’t quit … he, he … he focused on playing fiddle and made this really traditional fiddle album – um, like traditional fiddle tunes -- um, with really great musicians, including Don Flemons (who either produced it [the album] or was the main accompanist), who is one of the two leading proponents of reintroducing – he’s like one of the loudest voices in reclaiming the Black presence in traditional folk music …

Brian: Ahhhh!

Mick: He, and a woman named Rhiannon Giddens, who used to be in …

Brian: I know, Rhiannon, it’s like … yea, I know she’s very …

Mick: She won a MacArthur Genius Grant! She’s amazing! Right?!

Brian: Yea!

Mick: They were in the Carolina Chocolate Drops. That’s how they –

Brian: Yea! That’s the name …

Mick: So, yeah! You know, two years ago, that was what he [Tyler Childers] released. And, it was kind of a departure. Because it wasn’t like what people expected. It was like a very left-field sort-of move. Ah, but it was like him doing what he wanted to do, and what he really felt strong about, which was super-cool.

So, I mean, from that perspective, I completely respect everything those two are doing –

Brian: No [sic], I mean, I understand. And, I –

Mick: And –

Brian: I think, Oh! Go ahead, I am sorry I interrupted –

Mick: I want to touch on Carly [Pearce], because her story. Just really quickly, then I’ll turn it over …

Brian: … take your time …

Mick: Like there’s a lot about her story, which I think is really interesting. Like the other two, she comes from a background of Bluegrass. Like, she played in Bluegrass bands when she was a kid. But, she did something that I know that a lot of people have done, and that is she got a job as a musician at Dollywood [The Amusement Park and Resort in Pidgeon Forge, TN], which –

Brian: (eagerly) Ok!

Mick: -- is like, it’s a move that I know some people who have made. And, it’s just super-cool … A) that like, if you’re in the region, there’s a place that you can work five days a week! As a folk musician! As a Bluegrass musician! As a banjo player! As a fiddle player!

Brian: Wow –

Mick: – you can work there! And you got a new audience every day, like you’re totally “cutting your teeth”, and really … it’s-it’s just seems like such a cool opportunity for someone who has goals beyond that.

Like, I know that a lot people can kind of get stuck in a job like that. Like, “Uh, I have been playing this gig for TWENTY YEARS!” And, like, that’s not cool. But, like, to use it in a way to –

Brian: (nodding in agreement) Springboard –

Mick: – develop. (hears Brian’s comment) Yeah! Like, where else?! (pause) You go back; 50 years; 60 years; 100 years. Like, a musician could find work and use that work to sustain, but also develop yourself. And, there just aren’t many platforms to do that anymore.

And Dollywood is one of the few where I know that there’s been a lot of people who have gone through there and succeeded. And, like, that’s also a testament to Dolly Parton. Like, she created this place, and, like, it’s continued to be an opportunity for people to, like, develop that … type of music -- to really become comfortable on stage, get a persona, and all of that -- and have been practicing and developing your repertoire, all of that, in the meantime. It’s super-cool!

Brian: And, for me, for a total novice to her music, when did she become, like, known nationally, you think?

Mick: I am not totally sure. I mean my impression is that she still is not as known as …

Brian: … Chris Stapleton?

Mick: Chris Stapleton, yeah, which is why the other move, that traditionally country music has done is, like, they’ll match up-and-coming artists with more established artists to do a duet, so that you can raise awareness, and that sort of stuff.

Brian: Have you listened to their [Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton’s] duet, “We Don’t Fight Anymore”?

Mick: Yeah. It’s a great song!

Brian: Yea, it’s interesting. It’s kind of a … um … (laughs nervously) … I mean I guess I am an eternal bachelor, but, like being married: that state of kind of like being … you’re at a point in your marriage when don’t even argue anymore … uh … um (pauses) … it kind of lends itself to I think this melancholy that country music is known for …

Mick: Yeah. Well, and a lot of country songs will try to find that very unique, but somehow, like, that understandable sentiment. That’s always been a very common device in songwriting for country music. And, that’s the other thing about Chris: he’s like, he’s written songs for all sorts of people. I mean, he had a Bluegrass band called the Steel Drivers (which was awesome!) that he was the frontman of for a while. (I think they continued on, after he left the band.)

You know, he was a songwriter in Nashville for a long time, writing songs for people. And, when you write songs you kind of have to have devices like that, to make them appeal somewhat universally. [The duet with Pearce] has that feel and energy to it.

You should ask Kent some questions now. I have been talking too long (smirks).

Brian: Oh yeah! I am. We’re at the halfway point.

(aside) Kent: Zip it, Mick! –

(aside) Mick: – Shut up! (mischievously smiles)

Brian: Kent, we wanna transition from genres that Kentucky is known for – Bluegrass and Rock – to Broadway, and the Louisville Orchestra! You’re going to talk about the nominees Teddy Abrams and Mikki Abraham.

Kent: Yea, so I’ll talk about Teddy first. The American Project is the album that’s nominated, and it is – Teddy Abram’s name is on it – it really is a showcase the piano soloist Yuja Wang, her, and the two composers on the album: Michael Tilson Thomas and Teddy Abrams.

Those three figures are so … intwined in this album that because they’re linked. Teddy Abrams grew up in California. Michael Tilson Thomas, who is best known as a conductor, was Teddy Abrams’ conducting teacher. I think Teddy was twelve at the time. So, they got to know each other.

Then, Teddy went on to study music at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. It’s one of the best music schools in country, in the world, really, which is also where Yuja Wang studied. So, they were there at the same time, and became friends. And, so there was all of this, you know, sort of mingling -- getting to know each other, working together in various regards -- that came together on this album.

So, the album is only two pieces. It’s Michael Tilson Thomas’s “You Come Here Often?”, which is really short; it’s only like a four- or five-minute introduction. And, then Teddy Abrams’ piano concerto, which is I think forty minutes or something, is the rest of the album.

Brian: (impressed) OK.

Kent: So, Teddy Abrams’ piece, the piece that he wrote and conducted with The Louisville Orchestra: I was at the premiere of the piece. So, Louisville Orchestra did it at Whitney Hall and it was awesome! Deutsche Gramophone was set up to record. ….

And, I got to see this concert, and the recording is excellent, but even just visually the performance at that debut was amazing. Teddy is such an energetic conductor, and really, you know, showcases a visual presence of the orchestra anyway.

And Yuja Wang: as soloist she is one of the most fashionable piano players that’s working right now. She’s always, you know, dressed to the nines, very colorful, very showy. Her technique is very flashy (mimes a piano strikes with hands).

The music was one thing, but the visual aspect of the performance was another thing.

Brian: Speaking of the music … the concerto really … I am not a music, [classical] music aficionado, by any stretch of the imagination, but the concerto reminded me a lot of other American composers,

like Gershwin –

Kent: Absolutely –

Brian: – Gershwin. Rhapsody in Blue came to mind, for me.

Kent: So, [The American Project] was actually, it … the concept for the piece … started as a sort of a companion piece to Rhapsody in Blue.

Brian: (exclaims) NO JOKE!

Mick: (grinning) There you go, Brian!

Brian: (laughing)

Kent: He was going to write the piece to do a long program –

Brian: (excitedly) Abrams?!

Kent: Yea, Teddy Abrams. So, he wrote the piece to do alongside Rhapsody in Blue and fit with it. So, yea, that was … you hit the nail on the head.

Brian: How bout that?! I didn’t … I had NO IDEA!

Mick: Hey, man (snaps fingers) you got it!

Kent: Here’s actually another layer of linkage on this album. Michael Tilson Thomas recorded … he made … the first recording of Rhapsody in Blue in its original orchestration, in the ‘70s in San Francisco. So, he was the first person to record Rhapsody in Blue in that way and then, fast forward thirty years, and here’s his student composing this piece, who he is also appearing on this album with –

Mick: – That’s amazing.

Kent: Plus, this is now the one hundredth anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue in 2024.

Brian: Oh, my goodness! (laughing) There you go!

Mick: Craig Wagner is on the recording. Right?

Kent: He might be. I know a couple of people who work in the orchestra.

Mick: Well, Craig is not in the orchestra. He’s a guitar player.

Kent: (nodding his head in agreement) Yea, they do have a rhythm section. Jazz representation –

Mick: Yeah, I am almost – I am 99.9 percent sure -- that’s the case; and, actually, like, Craig has toured with Michael Tilson Thomas doing Rhapsody in Blue. –

Kent: (impressed) Wow –

Mick: Because, like, he can double on tenor banjo and guitar. So, yea … Craig has probably done twenty performances of Rhapsody in Blue with Michael. That’s awesome!

Brian: Wow. Wow. (smiles) Thank you, Kent! Well, um, the last … well, she’s not a nominee, but she’s … the soundtrack [original recording] she was a part of has been nominated [for a Grammy]: Miki Abraham. … She is from Paducah.

Kent: Yea.

Brian: She is part of the cast recording of the Broadway musical SHUCKED.

Kent: Her role in the cast: she was a swing in the original production, which means she was … she had prepared for multiple roles. And, then whomever was missing on certain night she could fill-in for. If somebody had scheduled day off of vacation on their Broadway Tour dates, she would fill-in for that one, and then she would play a different role on the next night, and a different role on the next night.

Mick: That’s a tough job!

Kent: Yea, no kidding! She was also an understudy for one of the mains … Lulu. She was an understudy for that … but she performed … I am going to guess that her role on that recording was just in the ensemble, as sort of a choir member.

… She’s from Paducah. And, I did find that she got her start in community theatre when she was little, as I would imagine most Broadway performers do. Ah, but Paducah is pretty close to where I grew up. And, I am going to guess she was performing at Market House Theatre in Paducah, KY, which I also performed in when I was a kid.

[Note: Kent sent the following correction after the interview: “I never acted at Market House Theater. I double checked with my mom and it was a different community theater that I participated in (I hardly remember it anyway). But I definitely saw shows at that theater.” -- BW]

Brian: Is that like Derby Dinner [Playhouse] here?

Kent: Exactly. Yea, it’s similar. It’s just all volunteer, although I think they might pay a few people, but it’s small-town, small production community theater. It’s families, school type of stuff. Yea, they do a lot of the Derby Dinner type of performances, where it will be evenings, and you can come and have a meal and do the show. That kind of thing, but it’s all … you know, Paducah is the biggest city out in that area and it’s only 30,000 people. So, it’s all pretty small-town stuff.

Brian: Understand. Do either one of you have any idea about the prospects of any of these nominees winning? Is Childers a shoo-in to win multiple [Grammys]? Do you think House will win [a Grammy] for “In Your Love”? Or the other artists? Do you think they’ll win?

Mick: If you’re just asking for sheer predictions or like “whatever”?

Brian: Yeah!

Mick: My guess is that the video [“In Your Love”] probably has the best shot. Because I feel like it was, I mean it’s certainly like, it carries a lot if cultural implications, you know, like a moment, right. So, I feel like that has potential. And also Tyler and Silas are both wrapped up in that. So, that’d be great because like a double doozy. A twofer.

That would be my pick to win for sure. I don’t know. Chris Stapleton could win too. He definitely … there’s a “darling” thing about him.

What do you think about the classical recording [The American Project], Kent?

Kent: I’m … I wouldn’t be surprised if it won, but I will say that the recording I heard, like, I wouldn’t say that it is the best recording that I have ever heard. The orchestra has, like, some balance things that, like, aren’t quite … like, some of the sections aren’t quite audible –

Mick: So –

Kent: … in terms of instrumental balance –

Mick: … Right, but that’s coming from somebody who has seen it live, which is not everybody, right?

Brian: Right –

Kent: True.

Mick: Right, there’s that –

Brian: I would never have guessed – known, like, being a neophyte [myself]. But, you know –

Mick: Right! Me either. (Kent saw it live though.)

(To Kent) But, if you don’t mind I have a question on that, which doesn’t necessarily pertain to this.

Kent: Alright.

Mick: Philosophically, fundamentally, is there … from a recording engineer and production standpoint … is there a problem, like, do people mix an orchestral recording or are they completely reliant on the conductor’s interpretation and the musicians, and leave it untouched, as it is?

Kent: There is mixing. Deutsche Gramophone has a hand in it.

And, then they also – it is not all … so, it -- the debut -- was recorded, but so were, like, a dozen other takes of the piece. So, it wasn’t just like a “one-and-done.”

Mick: Right –

Kent: And they can do spot recordings and they can do little samples.

Mick: So, so, they are interested in the best “final product” …

Kent: Yeah.

Mick: Ah, they’re not … the guiding principle is NOT preserving –

Kent: It’s not a “field recording”; it is a produced work.

Mick: (nodding) Ok. Ok.

Brian: We’ll gentlemen … I think I got more than enough material to work with –

Mick: (giggling) Sorry about that.

Brian: No! No! This is great! …

Mick: Brian, this was fun. Thanks for asking us. This was fun to think about, to talk about.

End

[Note: You can watch the 66th Grammy Awards this Sunday, 8 PM EST, on CBS.]

Brian West
Teaching Artist

Frazier to Offer Catch Me If You Can Tour and Black Americans in Bourbon in February

In February, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy two special offerings at the Frazier: a new tour of one of our permanent exhibitions as well as the February edition of our ongoing Bourbon programming, Unfiltered Truth: Black Americans in Bourbon.

First, there is the new tour itself. Inspired by Frank X Walker’s collection of poems Load in Nine Times—especially the poem “Catch Me If You Can”—this guest experience will be both a walking tour of our permanent exhibition The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall and a live poetry reading of Walker’s Load in Nine Times.

Inspired by photos and archival documents (which began with Reckoning, Inc., and were later collated by the Frazier for The Commonwealth), Walker—a former Kentucky Poet Laureate—debuted Load in Nine Times during a Juneteenth commemoration at the museum. It’s a collection of poems, Walker’s imagining of the thoughts and hopes of real-life Black Kentuckians who lived during the 1860s and ’70s, an era in which the US experienced its bloodiest conflict: the Civil War.

Though the photos and documents (slave trade ads, military service records, court affidavits, Census counts) tell the stories of those Black Kentuckians from a particular point of view, Walker reimagines them in an entirely new way, giving voice to those Black Kentuckians from a different perspective, a perspective that we, as an audience, might never have known otherwise.

In a word, Walker inspires them, breathing new life into their stories (“inspire” comes from the Latin word inspirare, which means “to breathe or blow into”).

I will be giving voice to those poems during the Catch Me If You Can tour. In addition to acquainting guests with the artifacts in The Commonwealth, I will also read aloud some of the poems from Load in Nine Times.

I will offer the Catch Me If You Can tour each Friday in February at 3 p.m. There will also be a special tour, Saturday, February 17, at 1 p.m. Access to the tour is free with museum admission.

That same Saturday we will offer guests the opportunity to talk advantage of Unfiltered Truth: Black Americans in Bourbon. Offered monthly, Black Americans in Bourbon is a Frazier Bourbon experience in which I acquaint participants with several important Black Kentuckians: a Buffalo Trace tour guide, the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman, the first Black owner-operators of a distillery in Kentucky, and the first Black master distiller in Kentucky. I also pair their stories with three tastings: Old Forester, Freddie’s Old-Fashioned Soda, and Brough Bros. Bourbon.

Black Americans in Bourbon is scheduled for Saturday, February 17, at 3:30 p.m. Seating is limited and the offering is priced at $34 (that includes museum admission).

Brian West
Teaching Artist

Sippin’ with Stephen: Amburana Bliss Old Fashioneds with Dark Arts

As the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, the Frazier History Museum shares stories of the people, places, and producers of the Kentucky Bourbon industry. To learn more, visit our Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Welcome Center or tour our Spirit of Kentucky® exhibition.—Simon Meiners, Communications & Research Specialist

This month’s episode of Sippin’ with Stephen spotlights an old friend who is launching a new Bourbon brand. Macaulay Minton, the former single barrel coordinator at Wilderness Trail, has started his own Bourbon brand, Dark Arts Whiskey, which focuses on Bourbon blending and finishing. Although this is a new brand, Dark Arts products are available in twenty-two states—so I encourage you to pick up a bottle at your local retailer. This episode also focuses on Macaulay’s innovation as a cocktail curator as he showcases his Amburana Bliss Old Fashioned, the recipe for which is printed below.

Recipe for Amburana Bliss Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Dark Arts Amburana Rye

• 3/4 oz. Jaggery Tamarind simple syrup

• 6 drops Chai bitters

• 1 flamed orange peel twist

• Luxardo cherries

Instructions:

Take lighter or torch to outside part of orange peel. Twist the orange peel to bring out the oils, which will caramelize the orange oil. Rub the peel around the rim to coat the glass.

In a mixing glass, build over ice. Add rye, bitters, and syrup. Stir and strain into rock with fresh large cube.

Stephen Yates
Community & Corporate Sales Manager

Enjoy Half-Off Admission during Hometown Tourism Week, February 1–11

Hey all, as many of you know I have a real passion for downtown Louisville. It is the heartbeat of Kentucky’s biggest city and an economic driver for the entire Commonwealth. Frazier’s location on Main Street only furthers my commitment to do whatever I can to support downtown’s growth and vibrancy. For those reasons and many more, I serve as the vice-chair of the Louisville Downtown Management District and the chair of the Louisville Downtown Partnership’s Marketing Committee. It is in that role that I asked LDP’s marketing and communications manager Bryn Alston to write about a shared initiative to inspire Kentucky and Indiana residents to visit Louisville this February. With that, here’s Bryn to tell you who’s involved and how it works.—Andy Treinen, President & CEO

Be a hometown tourist at the Frazier History Museum! You can visit your favorite Downtown attraction (or visit a new one!) during the Downtown Hometown Tourism Celebration this February. From February 1 to February 11, anyone with a valid Kentucky or Indiana ID, local college ID, or military ID will receive half-off regular admission tickets to participating Downtown venues.

You can also catch us, bright and early, on WLKY’s Morning Show this Thursday, February 1, beginning at 5:20 a.m. at the Frazier Museum!

Click here to see all the participating attractions and to purchase your tickets. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-purchased admission is encouraged.

Participating attractions and venues include Angel’s Envy Distillery, Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey Row Experience, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, Frazier History Museum, Louisville Ballet, Muhammad Ali Center, SAR Genealogical Research Library, Slugger Museum & Factory, KMAC Museum, Derby City Gaming Downtown, Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Angles Selfie Museum, WOW Women-Owned Wallet, and the Waterfront Botanical Gardens.

Hotels are also participating with various discounts and package deals, offering a special static rate for the duration of the celebration. Hotels in the promotion include the AC Marriott, Hampton Inn Downtown, Hotel Genevieve, Omni Louisville, and the Myriad.

Bryn Alston
Marketing & Communications Specialist, Louisville Downtown Partnership
Guest Contributor

20th Anniversary Photo: West Main Street Tourists, 2004

Reading Bryn Alston’s plug for downtown tourism inspired me think about the evolution of downtown’s West Main Street. First, in 1977, the Kentucky Science Center relocated here. Then, in 1996, the Slugger Museum opened. Finally, in 2004, the Frazier joined the bandwagon! Pictured above are local tourists lining the sidewalk to watch the Frazier’s opening day parade. Twenty years later, on any given day, you’ll meet tourists from around Louisville, Kentucky, and the broader world touring historic West Main Street.

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

From the Collections: Blacklight on Banjolin Reveals 1911 Pencil Markings

At the Frazier History Museum, we offer curatorial and collections internships to college students to help the next generation gain experience in the field. When you intern in the collections department, we teach you a variety of skills from how to process incoming donations to how to prepare artifacts for display, how to properly store and care for objects not on display, and how to do mild cleaning on objects for display. One of our interns, Dakota Wilson, has recently learned some of these skills. He found the experience interesting and rewarding. But I will let him tell you in his own words!—Tish Boyer, Registrar and Manager of Collections Engagement

As a part of last year’s partnership with the Kentucky Science Center, the Frazier History Museum has been fortunate enough to acquire a large amount of items pertaining to Kentucky’s rich history. An important step of the process of transferring new items into the Frazier’s collection is inspecting, cleaning, and preserving items to ensure the longevity of the important stories and narratives that these objects offer.

Following a summer internship at the Frazier and establishing roots in Louisville, I was lucky enough to return for a temporary position to gain important experience in the museum field working alongside Tish. As a part of this contract, it has been my responsibility to perform many of the important tasks for accessioning items into the collection—from inspecting and performing light conservation work on items to giving them a permanent home in the collection. Many of these tasks I have only read about extensively in my studies, but have yet to personally perform in a museum setting. Working alongside Tish allowed me to combine my knowledge of these theoretical approaches with real hands-on experience.

My day one training process with Tish taught me many of the dos and don’ts of cleaning and caring for objects—from what cleaning agents to use to best practice methods. This opportunity was a phenomenal experience that allowed me to truly see the value in my education, internship experiences, and working in a museum collection.

While I was able to work with numerous objects throughout this contract, by far the most interesting one that I came across was an early 1900s Wurlitzer-branded banjo mandolin, often called a banjolin. Not only was the piece stunning on its own, but it features a beautiful hand-painted pink rose with a green stem. This gorgeous artifact of Kentucky history has certainly stood the test of time.

Pulling from the many tips and tricks for cleaning objects Tish has learned throughout her career, she taught me that you can often see contaminants below the surface on textiles clearer by using a blacklight. Out of curiosity, I inspected the hide head of the banjolin with a blacklight—and, to my surprise, the blacklight uncovered previously unseen inscriptions. On one edge of the head, the date “Aug 16, 11” is inscribed in pencil. Another area has a slightly illegible name and a location: “unknown Robinson unknown Boonesboro, KY.”

Overall this was a phenomenal experience that taught me many important skills for my future career working in collections and helped me to fall in love with the field even more.

Dakota Wilson
Collections Intern

Bridging the Divide

Historic Underground Railroad Church Raising Money or Preservation Efforts

The Town Clock Church is near and dear to our hearts here at the Frazier History Museum for everything it stood for and stands for today with its ties to the Underground Railroad. It is represented in our Commonwealth exhibition along with some of its history. Preservation of this landmark in Southern Indiana just got some needed funds, and there’s a chance for you to pitch in, too. Keep reading to find out how.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission

The Friends of the Town Clock Church, Inc., are proud to announce that we have been awarded $200,000 in matching funding from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Preservation Trust. Our grant will specifically support endowment growth for the perpetual funding of cyclical maintenance for the historic Town Clock Church and grounds to ensure that the 2014 restoration and preservation efforts are sustained in the future.

We are honored to be part of this initiative and to contribute to the preservation of African American cultural heritage alongside thirty other deserving churches across the nation. In the past nine years, the Friends group has completed nearly $3 million in restoration efforts of this historic Underground Railroad church and grounds, one of the most significant sites in the Metro area with stories of those escaping enslavement and those who helped them on their way to freedom.

We will need to match the $200,000 grant dollar for dollar. Anyone interested in tours or donating can go to townclockchurch.org, send a check to Friends TCC, 312 E. Main Street, New Albany, IN 47150; or contact me at (502) 645-2332.

Jerry Finn
President, Friends of the Town Clock Church, Inc.
Guest Contributor

KCAAH Publishes 2024 African American History Month Cultural Events Calendar

The tradition continues with the Cultural Events Calendar for African American History Month. It began decades ago with well-known historian Walter W. Hutchins who passed away in 2022. But his legacy is alive and well again this year in forty pages of events, exhibitions, and attractions for February 2024. Click here to access it. Thanks to Aukram Burton at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, we will have copies at the front desk of the Frazier as well. Our February 22 program on the sixtieth anniversary of the March on Frankfort is included in the calendar. We hope you’ll reserve your ticket by clicking here.

Rachel Platt
VP of Mission