Coming Soon...

Horsing Around With Art

January 16 - March 25, 2012

Left: Student artwork on display in the Museum. Right: HAWA winner Kendall Bickett presents her artwork to 2011 Kentucky Derby Winner Barry Irwin at the Official Winner's Party.

Each year the Kentucky Derby Museum sponsors a student art comptition for students in Jefferson County to showcase their talents and celebrate the Kentucky Derby. This colorful and creative display will only be up for a short time so be sure to visit soon.

 

Urban Bourbon

March 5 - December 31, 2012

Bourbon and Derby are synonymous with the city of Louisville, two industries that have contributed to the history of the city and are part of its enduring culture. The roots of these industries in Louisville go back to the city’s earliest days, and, although separate, are now intertwined in the minds of many both inside and outside the city. The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century.

Stay tuned for more information about this exciting new exhibit!

 

Make your own Mint Julep

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice
2 oz Kentucky Bourbon
Silver Julep Cups

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Kentucky Bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

 

Please enjoy your bourbon responsibly.

 

Project Derby

April 23 - July 30, 2012

Elegant. Wild! Eccentric. Fun!  All these words describe Kentucky Derby fans and fashion and also capture the creativity of the students in the costume shop at the University of Louisville Theater Arts Department.  Each school year, the Department’s undergraduate assistants compete in a design competition, recently inspired by the television show Project Runway.  The students’ work is displayed publicly and judged by local professional designers. This year, the University has approached the Derby Museum about hosting the competition, which it was honored to do.  For this upcoming show (opening in April 2012), the student designers will be challenged to create a matching hat and purse for a client of their choice who is attending the Kentucky Derby.  All designers have been given specific guidelines and a budget to which to adhere. Each look is created from an existing base, a vintage hat and a cigar box. Every designer is given $40 to pay for any materials needed to complete their work.   The final results should capture the tradition and the fun of the Kentucky Derby.
 
The cigar boxes for the purses are generously provided by J Shepherd Cigars.