This week, we're excited to announce our partnership with Institute 193, a non-profit art gallery space that generates collaborations between artists, musicians, and writers to produce exhibitions, publications, and projects that document the cultural landscape of the modern South. Founded in 2009, Institute 193 "embraces the notion that groundbreaking contemporary art can and does emerge outside of large metropolitan centers," and seeks to expose the world to the work done in lesser-recognized regions of the United States.
Ultimately, their goal is to increase media exposure for artists while fostering connections in art markets across the globe. As the curator of Institute 193, Phillip March Jones attests that, in the South, "you don't have to dig very deep to find things of immense value and beauty. Those things are all around us." We couldn't agree more.
Featuring 14 Kentucky artists, Institute 193 Volume One holds an impressive compilation of images culled from the first three years, during which time the space has housed 28 exhibits and countless cultural events. A large coffeetable book, Institute 193 Volume One contains 159 full-color pages that include images from 18 Southern artists and biographical descriptions of the circumstances of their lives and careers.
Here at Kentucky for Kentucky, we believe in celebrating the beauty of our state and the talents of the makers who choose to make a life in the South – Institute 193 Volume One accomplishes that goal, and more. So set a spell, pour a nice tall drink, and start turning these pages, friends – it's time to take a peek into the lives, times, and images that further tell the tale of why Kentucky is such a Kick Ass Commonwealth to call home.
$45 per book – treat that coffee table right and grace it with Kentucky greats.
Words by Hannah LeGris. Photos by Stanley Sievers.
