Blog - Jessica K. Whitehead

Where to begin, with the thanksgivings? I find myself almost speechless as I try to recall all of the reasons to be joyful as this year comes to a close. There is an absurdity to feeling gratitude and joy in the world as it is right now, and yet here I am, experiencing that thing Ranier Maria Rilke calls “joy which one can see clear to the bottom.” Or maybe it is that thing IDLES tells us, that joy is an act of resistance? How can I help but be joyful, when I have been presented, again and again, with positive examples of humans in community, in love, and in care this year? I thought I would name some of those for you, if only to remind myself later on that, in 2025, so many people I know and organizations I love resisted darkness and alienation through the great human joy of collaboration.

I can’t possibly call out all of the folks I have been fortunate enough to collaborate this year, but I can try to give you a snapshot of these wonderful interactions. For book, exhibit, and KMHA (Kentucky Museum & Heritage Alliance) business alone, I traveled nearly 10,000 miles by car. It took me to incredible new pockets of the Commonwealth I had never experienced, and I feel like I understand Kentucky so much better now. And not just its history or its roads, but its people, its landscape. I feel far more connected to this place than I ever have, and I have gained new respect for the differences and similarities among its many regions and their residents.

_{I spent quite a bit of time in Western Kentucky this year, including getting to know South Union Shaker Village near Bowling Green, where two of my dear friends work.}

In these places and with these people, I delivered thirty-three (33!) book talks related to my newest title, Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard (University Press of Kentucky, 2025) and fifteen book talks and other events related to my collaboration with the Kentucky Derby Museum, The History of the Kentucky Derby in 75 Objects (University Press of Kentucky, 2024).

Thanks to all of these locations for supporting both the Museum’s mission and my independent work (and, in some cases, both!): the Keeneland Library; Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate; The Blue Grass Trust; Campbell County Public Library; Kenton County Public Library; Lincoln County Public Library; Kentucky Horse Park; Warren County Public Library; Adsmore Museum; Behringer-Crawford Museum; Filson Historical Society; Joseph-Beth Booksellers; Clark County Public Library; Kentucky Historical Society; Paul Sawyier Public Library; Carmichael’s Bookstore; Trimble County Public Library, Roebling Books; The Carnegie, Switzerland County Historical Society; Kentucky Gateway Museum Center; Charlotte Mecklenburg Library; Fort Thomas Forest Conservancy; Liberty Hall Historic Site; Atheneum Visitor’s Center in New Harmony; University of Kentucky Libraries; Portland Museum; Jefferson County Public Library; Louisville Book Festival; McConnell Springs; Carnegie Cultural Arts Center; Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill; Kentucky Book Festival; Janice Mason Art Museum.

_{It all started with the book launch of Driftwood at the Filson Historical Society, which included a viewing of the gallery exhibit AND the premiere of the first three movements of Daniel Gilliam’s Piano Trio No. 2: “Payne Hollow.” A special night.}

_{Dr. Richard Taylor, a favorite writer of mine and a fellow art enthusiast, joined me for a special program at the Kentucky Historical Society to talk about Harlan Hubbard, Paul Sawyier, and Taylor’s own nature journaling practice.}

_{Sharing Derby history and information about our Museum collection at the Warren County Public Library.}

On behalf of the Museum, I participated in more than twenty on-camera or other media interviews (that’s just half of what our department does on a slow year!). Including Driftwood media and reviews, that number doubled to a whopping forty (40!) media appearances, quotes, or mentions. The Museum was thrilled that Derby 75 became a semi-finalist for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award in a very competitive year, and the book also won the honorable mention for the 2024 Southern Books Competition. Driftwood fared well, too, recently becoming a finalist for the American Book Fest’s 2025 Best Book Award for Biography and the winner of the 2025 Thomas D. Clark Medallion.

_{With family and friends to receive the Clark Medallion in October. Humbling.}

This was also an exciting year to be collaborating on exhibit projects. At the Museum, I got to work with our curatorial team to close one temporary fashion exhibit and open a brand-spankin’ new permanent fashion exhibit, complete with an exciting interactive textile collection exploration tool. I got to hone my photography and editing skills, shooting several hundred hats, ensembles, and other accessories from our collection to be loaded into the display.

_{Photographing an 1880s bodice from our textile collection at the Derby Museum. So many goodies to explore in the interactive.}

_{Installing the new fashion exhibit at the Derby Museum. Go see it!}

With the help of the Filson Historical Society, Payne Hollow on the Ohio, the Behringer-Crawford Museum, and Hanover College, as well as a handful of amazing private collectors, I was also able to bring the Driftwood story to life in two different exhibit formats. The first, a traditional gallery exhibit, has debuted at three different locations this year: the Filson, the BCM, and the Portland Museum. Each exhibit, though using basically the same artifact checklist, has had unique personality and showcases the incredible creativity of those collaborating teams. Next year, I look forward to bringing that exhibit to two final locations: the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center in Maysville and the River Discovery Center in Paducah.

_{Driftwood at the Filson Historical Society, its first stop.}

_{Driftwood at the Behringer-Crawford Museum, its second stop.}

_{Driftwood at the Portland Museum, its location until mid-January 2026.}

But not everyone can host an artifact-filled Hubbard extravaganza, which is why Payne Hollow on the Ohio sponsored me to develop a traveling panel exhibit version with the Filson. That exhibit has already visited a number of locations in 2025, including: Payne Hollow, Hanover College, the Trimble County Public Library, the Switzerland County Historical Society, the Atheneum in New Harmony, The Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library at the University of Kentucky, the Kentucky State Fair, and the Janice Mason Art Museum. It is booked through into 2027 and will visit six more locations and counting in the coming months. All of these locations received (and will continue to receive) the exhibit as a completely free community outreach service.

_{The Driftwood traveling panel exhibit, as it was installed at the University of Kentucky’s Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library.}

Speaking of Payne Hollow on the Ohio, I have also been privileged to continue advising them on the future stewardship of their artifacts collection. Our multi-year “triage” and inventory of the collection is ongoing, and I am honored to be overseeing two bright Hanover students on the completion of this project in 2026. I got to talk about that project to an incredible crowd of Payne Hollow supporters at the November Open House–an exciting sight. The future is bright for Payne Hollow.

_{The collection at Payne Hollow is exciting and varied. It will be fun to continue thinking about its future.}

Which reminds me: how can I talk about everything going on with Driftwood and Payne Hollow without mentioning one of my favorite collaborations I’ve ever done: working with Daniel Gilliam on the release of the recording of his new Piano Trio No. 2: “Payne Hollow.” Gilliam wrote the piece as I was rolling out Driftwood, and they have been drifting together ever since. It will be coming out in physical form this winter, featuring liner notes by me and a really stellar sleeve design by Sarah Flood-Baumann.

_{Don’t sleep on adding this to your collection!}

And, of course, in 2025, I would be remiss if I did not share how deeply I’ve enjoyed getting to know and spend time with my friends with the Kentucky Museum & Heritage Alliance (KMHA). I’m honored to be planning their conference next year, and I can’t wait to continue to build those authentic relationships and networks across the Commonwealth.

As part of KMHA, I’ve been working with our professional development team to also offer additional, non-conference offerings to folks in our Commonwealth. The new Learn@Lunch series kicked off in November, and the KMHA book club will begin in 2026.

_{The crew, visiting the Hotel Metropolitan in Paducah, recently. What a great group, learning about important history.}

One of the things that has also surprised me about this year is the amazing trust my colleagues and new friends have placed in me. I’ve received so many incredible behind the scenes tours, so many kind offers to stay in incredible and historic buildings, so many ideas exchanged over a great meal together. “Networking” can feel so cold and personality-less, but it doesn’t have to. I am so lucky to know so many people who want to engage in that deeper world of connection, where the ideas flow like a river.

_{In New Harmony, I was permitted to stay at the beautiful “Poet’s House” after I delivered my book talk. It was so amazing to be in this thoughtful place and to meditate on the way the work I have done on Harlan Hubbard connects with so many other innovators and creators. I felt this while staying in an 1850s cabin in Cadiz, as well as staying at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. I stayed in a lot of boring hotel rooms this year, so the special places stand out big time!}

A lot of people have been asking me, “What’s next?” The Derby Museum has new projects rolling out next year, including some exciting updates to our adult education outreach offerings, and, as I’ve already teased, the Driftwood and Payne Hollow projects are ongoing.

And, while I can’t tell you everything yet, I CAN tell you that I have signed by contract for my next book and I am hard at work on it. Keep your eye on my blog, here, for updates.

Through all of this, I have received such kindness, hospitality, and welcome, from strangers and friends, alike. I can see joy, clear through to the bottom.