Have you ever wondered about the people whose names grace Northern Kentucky’s streets, cities and landmarks? From Mary Ingles Highway to Duveneck Park, these places bear the names of remarkable individuals whose stories have shaped our region.
Behringer-Crawford Museum invites you to the next NKY History Hour on Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m., featuring sculptor Matt Langford and his presentation, “History Told in Three Dimensions: Statue Works of Matt Langford.” This virtual event will explore how Langford uses sculpture to breathe life into forgotten or overlooked regional figures, turning names like Duveneck, Mary Ingles and Carnegie into lasting visual legacies.
A Boone County resident who lives in a 200-year-old log cabin, Langford is a classically trained sculptor and a graduate of Northern Kentucky University. He began his career sculpting for major toy companies such as Hasbro, Mattel and Disney before transitioning to bronze works in the wake of 9/11. His portfolio features monuments that honor regional figures with strength, dignity and artistic expression.
“These are not mannequins,” Langford says. “They are portraits, created from historical reference and just enough ‘artist’s license’ to create a work of visual interest. My goal is to reintroduce these individuals to our generation—and hopefully the next.”
Langford, whose work is deeply tied to the Northern Kentucky region, now balances his sculpting with a career in aerospace additive manufacturing at GE Aerospace. He describes his art as a calling: “I sculpt part-time and purposefully, in order to do each subject justice.”
This NKY History Hour will feature a behind-the-scenes look at Langford’s creative process, personal philosophy and examples of his work, including statues that now stand in parks, campuses and city centers throughout the area.
NKY History Hour is free to attend, but registration is required for Zoom participation. Participants can join the conversation and ask questions during the Q&A session following the presentation.
The event will also be streamed live on BCM’s Facebook page. All recordings of past episodes can be viewed at www.bcmuseum.org.
NKY History Hour programs occur every other Tuesday evening from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and are free to the public. To support NKY History Hour and access many other entertaining and thought-provoking programs for free, join BCM.
For more information, visit www.bcmuseum.org.
Behringer-Crawford Museum