Todd County Justice Center

Commercial work meets rural journalism. Circuit Court Judge Tyler Gill, of Allensville, Kentucky, was looking for artwork to be hung on the wall of the newly opened justice center in Elton, Kentucky for years to come. I remember him talking about how they wanted the work to represent the county’s iconic places and serve as a historical feature on what the town looked like at the time. A new building doesn’t come along very often and they wanted to capitalize on the opportunity. Their only restrictions were that they wanted these images to feature the place, more than it’s people.

Learn

Having never been to Elkton, Kentucky I had some learning to do. My initial goal was to find out about all the places that meant something to the people of Todd County, go see them all for myself, and then plan the best way to feature those places. This project was rewarding because it taught me the value of place as means to providing meaning to a people. I found myself making connections of my own to these places as if I had lived there for decades, though I did log a few hundred miles driving around the county during this project.

The Team

Any time I get the opportunity to collaborate with friends, I try to make it a reality. Charlotte was working as the advisor to the Talisman, Western Kentucky University’s student run yearbook/magazine and asked if I would be interested in shooting content for the piece. She acted as producing editor and travel buddy on the project as we edited the work and spent more than a few days in the car making the trip around the county. Once we edited the piece, we presented to the board, and the following work is what they selected to be featured in their courthouse for decades to come.

The Space

Elkton, KY has had three justice centers to date with the newest space being completed in 2015. As a part of the budget for the building, the state and county set aside funding for artwork to be hung around the building. The board of advisors for this project wanted the artwork to be something meaningful and unique to the people of Todd County that would have lasting meaning for generations to come. There were 20 spaces for the prints to hang - in each court room, the hallways, offices, and in the entryways of the building.