Kenton Historic Courthouse District Partners with Hardin County Historical Museums to Launch Pop-Up Art Galleries and Historic Tours

KENTON, OHIO- The Kenton Historic Courthouse District (KHCD) has announced an exciting new partnership with Hardin County Historical Museums aimed at bringing history to life in Downtown Kenton through immersive art, storytelling, and guided experiences.

This collaborative initiative will introduce pop-up art gallery exhibitions throughout the district, alongside specially curated historical tours designed to showcase the architectural, cultural, and community heritage that define Downtown Kenton.

Beginning in late spring 2026, KHCD and Hardin County Historical Museums will unveil rotating art installations in vacant and underutilized storefronts. These pop-up galleries will feature curated exhibits highlighting local artists, historical artifacts, and interpretive displays that connect Kenton’s past to its present.

In tandem, the partnership will launch a series of guided history tours anticipated to begin in late summer and continue through fall 2026. These experiences will include both indoor and outdoor tours of historic buildings within the district, offering residents and visitors an opportunity to step inside spaces not typically open to the public.

The tours will showcase both the interior and exterior of buildings that played a pivotal role in the district’s extensive history, including stories tied to Kenton’s Prohibition-era past, when the city earned the nickname “Little Chicago” for its lively underground culture during that time. Through curated storytelling, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the people, places, and moments that shaped the character of Downtown Kenton.

“This partnership is about more than preservation- it’s about activation,” said Jennifer Ramge, KHCD Coordinator. “Our goal is to cultivate KHCD into an artist incubation hub- a vibrant, creative corridor-where art, culture, and community converge. We want to celebrate the diversity and inclusion that art brings, both to those who create it and those who experience it.”

Jennifer Ulmer, Museum Director of Hardin County Historical Museums, added, “We’re proud to partner with KHCD on this creative initiative. This project creates new opportunities for people throughout Hardin County to engage with and celebrate our shared history through art.”

The artist incubation hub concept was inspired and suggested by Ilkaa Jillson, a Kenton native with strong ties to the fine art world and Director of Ilkaa’s Fine Art in Columbus, OH; further reinforcing the initiative’s commitment to elevating local and regional artistic talent.

Artists interested in exhibiting and selling their work through this initiative are encouraged to connect directly with Jennifer Ulmer to coordinate participation in the curation process and be considered for upcoming gallery installations.

The initiative also serves as a strategic effort to activate vacant properties, support local creatives, and drive increased foot traffic to downtown businesses. By transforming empty storefronts into engaging gallery spaces, KHCD continues its mission to foster economic vitality while preserving the historic integrity of the district.

KHCD is currently working with downtown property owners to secure gallery locations and finalize exhibit curation. Additional details, including tour schedules, featured artists, and opening dates, will be announced in the coming months.