Joanna Hay to present films and audio about the 1964 Freedom March

Frankfort KY, Joanna Hay has been invited to participate in the Kentucky Historical Society’s commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the 1964 Freedom March on Frankfort with a presentation of her films and audio work on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 1:00 in the Brown-Forman Room at the Kentucky History Center.

Joanna will be presenting the audio piece “We Are The Women Behind The March”, as well as one or two short documentaries about the 1964 Freedom March that was attended by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Jackie Robinson, Peter, Paul and Mary and 10,000 Kentuckians.

Joanna Hay Productions along with Dr. Le Datta Denise Grimes and Judy Sizemore produced the project MLKMarchOnFrankfort.com with support from the City of Frankfort, the National Park Service and the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. Students can access lesson plans for these films at PBS Learning Media in the Kentucky’s Black History and Culture Collection.

Rivers That Talk and Bridges That Sing is Under Repair

Rivers that Talk and Bridges That Sing - Sound installation in the Upright canoe is under repair

The sounds that you hear coming from the upright canoe in Riverview Park, along the Kentucky River at Frankfort, are temporary silent. The amplifier that plays the music, voice and ambient sound became waterlogged in January and stopped working!

It’s the third time the electronics have been replaced since its installation in 2016.

The first time, a torrential rain storm filled the bench with water and the amplifier was ruined. That problem was solved by drilling holes in the bottom of the canoe near the base, so that any water from rain would run out. The second time the amplifier was destroyed was in the flood of 2021, and visitors can see the high water mark on the canoe.

With the 2021 update of the audio piece, we added the sound of the break-away marina that crashed into and passed under the Singing Bridge in the flood. The voices of Penny Peavler and Gene Burch retell that frightening scene.

The amplifier will be replaced after the threat of spring flooding is over. In the meantime, visitors can scan the QR code and listen to piece on their smartphone at: https://soundcloud.com/joanna-hay/rivers-that-talk-and-bridges-that-sing-v2-2021

Rivers That Talk and Bridges that Sing is an audio installation by Joanna Hay. It is 30 minutes of looped music, voice and ambient sound, housed in an upright canoe in Frankfort, on the banks of the Kentucky River. This piece is inspired by childhood memory, the threat of flooding and the desire to care for the river.

Oral history interview clips from the community are interwoven with music and poetry housed in a canoe, placed in Riverview Park along the river.

Rivers That Talk and Bridges That Sing
30 minutes of looped sound housed in an upright canoe.

Tones of the Singing Bridge recorded and mixed by Jordon Ellis.

Interviews archived at the Kentucky History Center:
Jeri Katherine Howell
Nathan Depenbrock
Allison Depenbrock
Gerry Seavo James
Vinson Parsons
Judith Clark
Alice Blanton
Mattie Davis
Van Warren

Telling the story of the 2021 Kentucky River Flood when the escaped marina floated down the Kentucky River crashing into the Singing Bridge:

Penny Peavler
Gene Burch

The River
Written and performed by Judah Thornewill (guitar) and Joanna Hay (violin) with tones from the Singing Bridge.

Turbulence
Written by Jeff Ellis
Performed by Stirfry Musette

Liquid Measure
Written and read by Trina Peiffer

Recording, Mixing and Mastering by Jordon Ellis
Bench built by Rhett Fulkerson

Special thanks to Frank Arts, City of Frankfort, Josephine Sculpture Park, Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist Commission and Canoe Kentucky (for the gift of the canoe.)

©2021 Joanna Hay Productions
All Rights Reserved

www.joannahayproductions.com
Impact & Legacy

PRESS RELEASE -We Are The Women Behind The March

We Are The Women Behind The March - Audio Installation on the Steps of the Capitol in Frankfort KY

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

February 15, 2024

Contact:  Joanna Hay

502 229 2110

joannahay@gmail.com

We Are The Women Behind The March

A Sound Installation on the Steps of the Capitol in Frankfort KY

In anticipation of Women’s History Month and the 60th Anniversary of the 1964 Freedom March on Frankfort, we are announcing the installation of We Are The Women Behind The March.  Listen to the sounds and the stories of the Kentucky women who organized the 1964 March on Frankfort which was attended by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and 10,000 Kentuckians on March 5th, 1964.

The team of artist-historians, Joanna Hay, Katima Smith-Willis, and Dr. Le Datta Denise Grimes have created an audio experience at  the foot of the Capitol steps.  Weaving the voices of women like Helen Holmes, Sen. Georgia Davis Powers, Sheila Mason Burton and Mattie Jones, with Dr. King’s voice,  the listener is transported back 60 years. The contemporary voices of Ms. Smith-Willis and Dr. Grimes punctuate the historic voices creating an emotional experience as the listener stands, walks and listens to the story from the very spot where Dr. King spoke.

Experiencing the sounds of these voices honors the role of the Kentucky women who did the work and planned the historic event. Dr. King, Jackie Robinson and Peter Paul & Mary came to Kentucky for a march to demonstrate the need for Civil Rights legislation in Kentucky.  Women were behind the scenes organizing it.

Capital City Museum Director, Dr. Eleanor Haskens-Wagner says: “Sharing this critical historical moment through the experience of this sound art installation is unlike anything else offered in Frankfort – or the state. We Are the Women Behind the March does a fantastic job offering an immersive, creative, and inspiring opportunity for folks to learn more about the women who made such a significant historical experience happen.

The creative team includes documentary filmmaker and sound artist, Joanna Hay; community activist and leader of the 2020 march on Frankfort, Katima Smith-Willis; and Clemson University oral historian and scholar, Dr. Le Datta Denise Grimes.   

Dr. Grimes reflects on how “the hopeful, lilting voice of Katima Smith-Willis, against the historical backdrop, and wisdom provided by myself and the women who participated in the march, is inspirational. It is also aspirational. It reminds us of how far we’ve come and strengthens us for the challenges yet to come as we strive to live wholly aware, wholly equal, and wholly just.”

The audio experience is accessed by scanning a QR code with a smartphone from the sign located at the foot of the Capitol steps in Frankfort.  For a preview, listen at this link.  

Joanna Hay hopes that, “every day, (but especially on Tuesday, March 5th, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of that historic day by marching up Capital Avenue), people will stop to listen to the voices of the Women Behind The March as they arrive at the steps to the Capitol.”

Additional Images and Press Materials can be found here.

The project was made possible by the Kentucky Foundation for Women, City of Frankfort, National Park Service, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Capital City Museum, Kentucky Historical Society and Joanna Hay Productions.

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Through the lens of the Grand Theatre: A snapshot of Frankfort's history

The State Journal’s magazine, Frank., published a fine article about Stories From the Balcony — Joanna Hay Production with collaborator Katima Smith-Willis and team: https://frankthemagazine.com/through-the-lens-of-the-grand-theatre-a-snapshot-of-frankforts-history/

Joanna Hay Productions' Project wins Kentucky History Award for Education

Article in Lane Report - May 19, 2023.

Kentucky Historical Society Honoring 25 Individuals and Organizations at Annual History Awards

Awards will be presented June 3 at the Kentucky Historical Society

Frankfort, Ky. (May 17, 2023) – The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is recognizing 25 individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of history at the Kentucky History Awards Celebration on June 3. KHS will also recognize the 19 grant-recipient organizations that recently received funding through the Local History Trust Fund. This funding pool supports the efforts of local history organizations to preserve and share Kentucky stories. Organizations in 15 Kentucky counties received grants totaling $44,443.78. Individual amounts range from $1,790 to $2,500 for research, exhibition expansion, technology updates and programming projects. 

This year’s history award winners represent communities from across Kentucky in categories that include a range of disciplines from education to publication, along with special awards named after some of the commonwealth’s greatest historians. Special awards include the Dr. James C. Klotter Lifetime Dedication to Kentucky History Award, the Brigadier General William R. Buster Award, and the Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence.

“The commonwealth is fortunate to have over 370 history-related organizations,” said KHS Executive Director Scott Alvey. “From history museums, historic sites and parks to historical societies and Kentucky historians, they play a fundamental role in our understanding of what it means to be a Kentuckian. The annual Kentucky History Awards recognizes outstanding work done in Kentucky history and the community of public historians who help us see the unfolding story of our past.” 

• Thomas D. Clark Award of Excellence: Camp Nelson National Monument

• Volunteer Organization: Fredonia Valley Heritage Society

• Dr. James C. Klotter Lifetime Dedication to Kentucky History Award: Michael Morrow

• Brigadier General William R. Buster Award: Jerry Johnson

• Award of Distinction: Joe Craver

• Frank R. Levstick Award for Professional Service: Bill Mulligan

• Kentucky Public History Intern Award: Isaac Bates

• Community Impact Award: Filson Historical Society’s Community Historian Program

• Publication Award – University Press: Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State: Revisiting My Old Kentucky Home by Gerald L. Smith

• Publication Award – Private Press: My Old Kentucky Home: The Astonishing Life and Reckoning of an Iconic American Song by Emily Bingham

• Publication Award – Local Independent Press: Crafting and Casting: The Famed Frankfort Kentucky Reel by Betty Barr and Don Kleier

• Publication Award – Pamphlet/Newsletter: Hart County Historical Society Quarterly Newsletter by Hart County Historical Society Board and Todd Johnston, Editor

• Publication Award – Website: Resurrecting the First American West, The Filson Historical Society, by Patrick Lewis, Danielle Spalenka, and Jennie Cole

• Education Award - Public Programming: Bottling Coca-Cola: A Trolley Tour of Luther Carson’s Life in Paducah, Atomic City Tours

• Education Award – Public Programming: Haunting on the Hill, Capital City Museum

• Education Award – Public Programming: We Are Our History, Riverside, The Farnsley-Moreman Landing

• Education Award – Special Projects: Fredonia Valley Veterans Memorial Dedication, Fredonia Valley Heritage Society

• Education Award – Special Projects: Historical Facts of Cadiz-Trigg County, Kim Fortner and Paul Fourshee

• Education Award – Special Projects: 1964 March on Frankfort, Joanna Hay Productions

• Education Award – Multimedia: Kentucky Deceased: Hauntings of Frankfort, Capital City Museum

• Education Award – Multimedia: Shaker Village App, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

• Education Award – Exhibit: What Happened to Jonesville? The Kentucky Folklife Program

• Education Award – Exhibit: The Commonwealth: Divided We Fall, Frazier History Museum

• Education Award – Preservation: Landsdowne Hall Archaeological Project, Gerald Dyson

• Education Award – Preservation: Renovation of the Virginia Theater, City of Somerset

The awards will be presented on Saturday, June 3, at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort as a kickoff event to Kentucky History Day. Breakfast and networking start at 9:00 a.m. ET, followed by the awards presentation at 9:30. Exclusive staff and curator-led tours, gallery talks, informative workshops, and hands-on activities will follow the awards

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The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is an agency in Kentucky’s Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet. The KHS campus has three sites in historic downtown Frankfort:  The Old State Capitol; the Kentucky Military History Museum; and the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History serving as KHS headquarters with a signature museum, exhibits, library, research facilities, object & archival collections, museum store, and more. KHS is a Smithsonian Affiliate and has full American Alliance of Museums accreditation.

Joanna Hay Productions Produces E.H. Taylor, Jr Audio Walking Tour

E. H. Taylor, Jr. Audio Walking Tour now Available in Downtown Frankfort!

Published May 24, 2023

Frankfort, KY – The Frankfort / Franklin County Tourist and Convention Commission announces the launch of the E. H. Taylor Audio Walking Tour in downtown Frankfort, written and produced by Joanna Hay Productions. Russ Kennedy performs as the voice of the Colonel.

This tour is a self-guided experience enabling visitors to learn about the history of Frankfort’s bourbon industry while strolling through our historic downtown area.

Listen to the voice of Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. on your smart phone as he tells the story of his life. E. H. Taylor, Jr. (1830-1923) is considered the Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry and he lived and worked in Frankfort, Kentucky. The rich history of his life’s work and his influence on the bourbon industry is entertaining and informative.

There are 6 stops on the audio walking tour, all within a six-block area. Simply scan the QR code on the sign at each stop and you will hear the Colonel tell his story. Look for signs on the sidewalk with this logo to take the tour! https://soundcloud.com/visit-frankfort-kentucky/sets/e-h-taylor-audio-tour

Stop 1 – 300 St. Clair St. – Father of the Modern Bourbon Industry

Stop 2 – 306 Wapping St. – River, Bourbon & Fire

Stop 3 – 300 Washington St. – E. H. Taylor’s Home

Stop 4 – 240 St. Clair St. – Public Life & Politics

Stop 5 – 316 Ann St. – Taylorton & Agriculture

Stop 6 – 216 West Main St. – E. H. Taylor’s Hometown

Enjoy the tour with the legend himself!

Joanna Hay Productions Announces Kentucky's Black History and Culture Collection on PBS Learning Media

Frankfort, KY (February 27, 2023)

In partnership with KET, Joanna Hay Productions, with Dr. Le Datta Denise Grimes and Judy Sizemore have created a new collection of lesson plans on PBS Learning Media.

The collection is called Kentucky’s Black History and Culture. Covering the Antebellum period there are 12 new lesson plans that span topics on black history from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade into the Civil War.Some of the videos are new, and some are repurposed from existing media.

Also in this collection are four new lesson plans on the history of the 1964 Freedom March on Frankfort led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson and 10,000 Kentuckians. For 5th graders the film and lessons are built around “The Place The March The Movement.” For 8th graders the topic is “The Women The March The Movement” and for High Schoolers, students will learn about “The Youth The March The Movement.” “The Music and The Movement” explores the role of singing and music in the Civil Rights protest movement of the 1960s.

Education writer, Judy Sizemore has created lesson plans for the various age groups. Kentucky African American History scholar, Dr. Le Datta Grimes curated the materials and wrote the Background Reading Essays. Filmmaker Joanna Hay managed the project and produced the videos.