FMA Endowment, New Intern, and Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon!
FMA IS TURNING TO QUEER JOY
LGBTQ people can turn to our past for something surprising—joy. As our Assistant Executive Director Josh Porter recently said in an interview with Encyclopædia Britannica:
“I just think it’s magical, finding the joy in queer history. Oftentimes we talk about the difficulties. the struggles, and the fights, which is definitely a part of our archive. We document a lot of that struggle. However I think also looking at the way that queer people were having fun, enjoying themselves, creating community, and documenting themselves, I think that's sort of the magic of it.”
You can check out the video on Encyclopædia Britannica’s YouTube channel!
During this time of uncertainty, FMA is continuing our work of sharing Kentucky’s long and rich LGBTQ history—the struggles and the joy!
Speaking of, there is a lot of good news coming from FMA and our partners. Just look at all the ways we’re sharing Kentucky’s LGBTQ story!
ANNOUNCING OUR ENDOWMENT
In 2025, FMA established an endowment with the Blue Grass Community Foundation thanks to the generosity of the 100k for Henry’s 100th campaign!
Having an endowment helps provide long-term financial security and allows us to seize new opportunities and weather unexpected challenges. Your support of the Faulkner Morgan Archive now ensures our stories are saved and shared, literally, for generations to come.
An endowment’s income provides annual support for FMA’s efforts in perpetuity. A gift to our endowment fund is an investment in our organization’s present and future.
MEET OUR SPRING 2025 INTERN!
We are thrilled to welcome Natalie Warren to the Faulkner Morgan Archive team as our Spring 2025 Collections Intern! Natalie is an emerging archivist with a deep passion for LGBTQ history. In her role, she’ll focus on processing new collections, helping us ensure that vital pieces of our shared history are preserved for future generations.
To help you get to know Natalie a little better, we sat down for a fun and insightful Q&A session. Click the button to read the blog post!
COLLECTIONS SPOTLIGHT
Take a glimpse of Venice through the lens of Edward Melcarth!
Melcarth was a gay artist born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1914. He would later live in New York City, but always had a strong affinity for Venice and would move there near the end of his life. Melcarth’s typical subject matter of contemporary working-class men is repeated throughout these images.
These photos, on loan to FMA by Robert Morgan (of Venice), were delivered to Josh Porter during a November 2024 trip to Venice. Morgan has lived in Venice for nearly 50 years, dedicating his life to painting after studying under Melcarth at the Art Students League and the Accademia in Venice. Melcarth invited Morgan to Venice in 1970 to assist him with completing several large paintings and a sculpture group commissioned by Malcolm Forbes.
This collection predominantly features writings and photographs from Melcarth’s time in Venice, preserved by Morgan after Melcarth's death in 1973, and now graciously loaned to FMA.
