Is Kentucky's Bluegrass Vanishing?

Newswise — In 2006, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) named the Kentucky Bluegrass region one of the 100 Most Endangered Sites on the planet. But what exactly defines the Bluegrass region? Why is it important? How real are the threats? Could the central Kentucky landscape that the country has come to love for its horses and bourbon disappear forever? These questions and others are addressed in the exhibit "The Vanishing Bluegrass" running through Dec. 31, at the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville. "'The Vanishing Bluegrass' introduces people to the very real dangers of poor planning and overdevelopment threatening to destroy the unique cultural landscape of Kentucky," says Mark O'Bryan, an associate professor of architecture in the University of Kentucky College of Design (http://www.uky.edu/Design/). "There is no other place in the world like the Bluegrass region. Its conservation is vital to our identity and our long-term economic interests." O'Bryan, his fellow College of Design faculty and design students crafted an exhibit that lets viewers explore the importance of balance in urban development and land preservation, while demonstrating the impact that planning decisions today will have on the future of the land, its wildlife and the people of the Commonwealth. The exhibit looks at growth in an 11-county region of central Kentucky and how these particular trends are endangering the unique Bluegrass cultural landscape. "The Vanishing Bluegrass" exhibit (http://www.derbymuseum.org/van.html) is highlighted with images reflecting the region's beauty by such renowned photographers James Archambeault, Guy Mendes and Frank Döring, as well as original drawings by schoolchildren in the Bluegrass region. In addition to the UK College of Design, the exhibit is presented in partnership with the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office, the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation and the Bluegrass Conservancy, the organizations that collectively nominated the central Kentucky Bluegrass region to the WMF's 2006 Watch List. According to the nomination narrative, Kentucky's Bluegrass region "is one of North America's most distinctive cultural and agricultural landscapes"¦ and between 1997 and 2002, more than 300 square kilometers of [Bluegrass] agricultural land were converted to other uses." The WMF is considered the foremost private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered architectural and cultural sites around the world. Since 1965, the organization has worked tirelessly to stem the loss of historic structures at more than 450 sites in over 80 countries. The Kentucky Derby Museum understands the importance of the preservation discussion to the state and has given the topic a platform at the museum. "'The Vanishing Bluegrass' exhibit will explore what is happening to one of Kentucky's most valuable natural resources," states Lynn Ashton, executive director of the Kentucky Derby Museum. "We are pleased to work with all of these organizations to present this vital issue to the public."