Submit Your Unique and Wondrous Object for UK Art Museum’s 'Cabinet of Wonder'
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 21, 2019) — People of all ages collect things that they find meaningful, interesting and valuable.
Collected objects include natural materials (stones, shells), cultural items (photographs, books, posters, dishes, autographs, toys, stamps, coins) and other items that reflect their experiences, values, and connections to others. These valued objects are often displayed in homes and offices — on walls, desks, tables and shelves.
These simple objects can tell complex stories, and the University of Kentucky Art Museum wants to see and hear about yours. The museum is interested in your unique and wondrous objects for the University of Kentucky’s "Cabinet of Wonder" exhibition. The free and public exhibition will be on display Jan. 25 through May 31, 2020, and will feature items from people across Kentucky.
Cabinets of wonder were typically private collections of objects that eventually evolved into the first public sense of what we think of museums being today. For 40 years, the UK Art Museum has done this work and shared the results with the public, in the form of temporary exhibitions and its permanent collection. With the exhibition "Cabinet of Wonder," the museum will display objects our community finds interesting and important.
The UK Art Museum wants to know about these items, how you came to possess them and why they are significant to you. If selected, your wondrous object could be part of the exhibition at the museum.
If you are interested in having your treasured item displayed, you can submit your object for consideration for the exhibition by following and completing the online submission form. This exhibition is open to Kentucky residents only and allows only one entry per person. The deadline to submit the form and image of your object is Nov. 4. For more information regarding submission details, please visit the exhibition website.
The mission of the UK Art Museum, part of the UK College of Fine Arts, is to promote the understanding and appreciation of art to enhance the quality of life for people of Kentucky through collecting, exhibiting, preserving and interpreting outstanding works of visual art from all cultures. Home to a collection of more than 4,800 objects including American and European paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and sculpture, the museum presents both special exhibitions and shows of work from its permanent collection.
For more information or questions, contact Michaela Miles at 859-257-0336 or artmuseum@uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.