Throwback Thursday: “In Her Words” by Leslie Nichols at the Downing Museum

This week we’re at the Downing Museum in Bowling Green for a special exhibit. Acclaimed artist Leslie Nichols finds inspiration using a nostalgic medium. Called “In Her Words,” her latest exhibit tells stories of strong southern Kentucky women making a difference in their communities.  

Leslie Nichols’ primary medium to create her art is a manual typewriter. That’s right, one of those early secretarial tools used by women in the workplace. The typewriter defined generations of sociocultural heritage. Nichols uses empowered females who have left personal impressions on her life as inspiration for her pieces. 

She flawlessly combines the modern day images of these women with a classic social text meaningful to the time and place. Nichols believes her portraits place emphasis on the weight of our words. The concept is that our lives are creations of social constructions within our minds.

Nichols’ art has been displayed in over 100 exhibitions across the country. Her work has been featured at the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Carnegie Center for Visual and Performing Arts, the Evansville Museum, and more. She recently received an artist enrichment grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women to support the large-scale portraits on display here at the Downing Museum. 

These portraits represent Kentucky women striving to make a difference in their communities and effect social changes. Hopefully, you recognize the faces from them having impacted your life along the way. 

The “In Her Words” exhibit is on display now through September. The Downing Museum is open for tours Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday noon to 4 p.m. Find out more about Leslie Nichols’ art on her website here.