Miriam Kienle and Josh Porter will discuss their collaborative projects rooted in the Faulkner Morgan Archive, which collects and preserves materials connected to Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ history. Their work highlights how garments, protest graphics, and everyday objects function as both personal expressions and public assertions of identity, challenging dominant narratives in art and history. Together, they will reflect on how curators and community archives can expand what is exhibited, valued, and remembered, and how these partnerships affirm belonging while reshaping the historical record.

This program is presented in conjunction with BIRDS OF A FEATHER, an exhibition by Feather Chiaverini featuring hand-made costumes, watercolor paintings, and soft sculptures that are inspired by photographs and ephemera the artist found in the Faulkner Morgan Archive.

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Miriam Kienle is an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Kentucky, specializing in modern, contemporary, and American art. Kienle’s teaching and research interests include gender & sexuality, critical theory, new media, curatorial studies, and the digital humanities. Her book Queer Networks: Ray Johnson's Correspondence Art (University of Minnesota Press, 2023) analyzes Johnson’s role as an initiator of the international correspondence art movement through the lenses of network studies, queer theory, and histories of interpersonal communication. In 2024, she co-organized a national symposium Queer Art | Queer Archives to explore the unique challenges of art historical research on LGBTQ+ artists. Her writings have appeared in such publications as Archives of American Art Journal, Feminist Studies, Oxford Art Journal, Media-N, Panorama, and Nierika, and has curated exhibitions at national and international venues including the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

Josh Porter (he/him) is an independent curator, photographer, writer, and designer based in Lexington, KY. As a curator, he is dedicated to elevating and showcasing the significant contributions of contemporary artists, particularly those who are often underrepresented. In that work, he places a large emphasis on queer art and storytelling. This commitment extends beyond traditional gallery spaces as he strives to foster more intimate engagements between art and communities. He currently serves as the Assistant Executive Director of the Faulkner Morgan Archive, a Kentucky-based institution with a dedicated focus on sharing Kentucky’s LQBTQ history. Through his work with FMA, he has seen the impact that collecting, archiving, and exhibiting queer stories can have. His desire to work with queer artists and queer narratives drives his professional work. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is integral to his identity, and he seeks to celebrate the rich tapestry of queer experiences through his work.