Support the Driftwood Publication and Projects

My name is Jessica Whitehead, and I am a professional curator and writer specializing in Ohio River Valley history.

As many of you know, I have been working on a large-scale project related to the artist, writer, and sustainability pioneer Harlan Hubbard (1900-1988), entitled Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard. Many of you have supported me over the years--financially and emotionally--in the production of the first phase of the project, which is a new, comprehensive biography to be published in February 2025 through University of Kentucky Press. I am pleased to tell you that the book has passed an enthusiastic peer review and is in the design and layout process.

However, many of you may not know that I have broader plans for the Driftwood story as it enters the final phases of publication, including: multiple art and history exhibits at regional cultural institutions, an innovative, rent-able, artifact-less traveling exhibit, a virtual exhibit and online blog, and an ambitious series of community outreach and educational initiatives. The scope of this project--especially for a public historian initiating this project while working full-time as a professional curator at a major museum--is defensible for the subject matter but expensive for the non-profit bankroll.

I have been extremely fortunate to have already received the generous assistance and pledges of support from the Filson Historical Society, Payne Hollow on the Ohio, Cincinnati Art Galleries, Bob and Charlotte Canida, and the Behringer-Crawford Museum. I owe them my enduring thanks, and through them, you will soon be hearing about two major Hubbard exhibitions in the region, an incredible traveling exhibit for regional and national reach of the Hubbard story, and, of course, a beautiful new biography from University Press of Kentucky.

But if you also are interested in the success of the ongoing Driftwood initiatives, please consider donating, too. Your funds will go to support:

Any amount helps, and no donation is too small to make a difference. But, as a special offer, donors of $150 or more will receive a personalized, signed copy of Driftwood when it is released--along with the satisfaction of supporting the legacy of Harlan Hubbard. To receive your personalized copy, please contact me directly, through the contact form on my website: https://driftwoodharlanhubbard.com/about-the-book/contact/

It is my intention to, in the lead-up to the publication of the biography and the continued promotion of the story through exhibits, resources, and programming, provide you with as many ways to engage with and understand the relevance of Harlan Hubbard's biography to our daily lives.

For more information on how I hope to achieve these goals, please visit www.driftwoodharlanhubbard.com, or follow me on Facebook and Instagram @driftwoodharlanhubbard.

Thank you for considering the support of arts and environment-based education and engagement in Kentucky!