Morehead State University’s Kentucky Folk Art Center has announced its upcoming exhibition, “Playing Chicken: The Rooster in Kentucky Folk Art.”
Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition presents more than 60 rooster-themed works by a dozen Kentucky folk artists. The exhibition will remain on display from March 4 through May 21. There will be no formal reception to open the exhibition.
The rooster has long been a dominant image in Kentucky folk art. Perhaps no animal, other than the snake, has been depicted by so many folk artists in so many different ways. In the days before television, computers, and cell phones, folks who lived on farms would have found entertainment in watching the strutting roosters and hens.
The rooster shows up repeatedly in folk tales, literature, and the Bible. It is also the symbol of the Kentucky Democratic Party, which controlled politics in the state for more most of the latter half of the twentieth century. Additionally, a forked twig provides the perfect medium for a skilled carved to use in making a rooster.
“This exhibition clearly celebrates the whimsical side of folk art,” said Taral Thompson, KFAC curator. “We present many exhibitions that deal with major artistic or cultural themes. This isn’t one of those shows. We wanted to do something that was purely fun before tackling weightier subject matter this summer.”
Kentucky Folk Art Center is a cultural, educational and economic development service of Morehead State University. The Center is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Additional information is available by calling 606-783-2204 or visit online at: http://www.kyfolkart.org
