2020-06-08

Some of the most memorable things that happened in Lexington and in Kentucky over the last week include: On Friday, a car parade wound its way 8 times around Lexington’s downtown in honor of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police 8 times. Friday would have been Breonna’s 27th birthday. We keep saying her name: BREONNA TAYLOR. Asked about the statue of Jefferson Davis which holds a prominent spot in the state capitol, Governor Andy Beshear answered with clarity and conviction: “I believe the Jefferson Davis statue is a symbol that divides us.” On Friday, Beshear called for the removal of the statue. On Friday, the President of the University of Kentucky ordered a mural to be removed from Memorial Hall, one of the university’s signature buildings. Seen by many as a symbol of our shared racist past and an unwillingness to acknowledge it—let alone challenge it—the mural had long been considered “controversial.” In the meantime, peaceful protests continue to swell the streets and hearts of communities all over Kentucky. People marched in Hazard, Kentucky, and in Richmond, Kentucky. In Richmond, the protest was organized by a group of young women.

Lexington in the Time of COVID-19 is an artwork about people practicing social distancing at a time of a deadly virus. And also offering kindness.

Kurt Gohde and Kremena Todorova capture photographs at the periphery of American culture, where drag queens, discarded couches, and abandoned motel signs exist.