Archivist Stephanie Schmidt, Sazerac Company, Frankfort, KY, will lead an in-depth tour of the archives at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Schmidt and the archives team have catalogued every award and piece of art throughout the distillery. By maintaining the distillery’s art collection, they are better able to display Buffalo Trace’s impressive history for visitors and employees. Indeed it boasts a rich history with connections to early settlement, industrial revolution, prohibition, and modern innovations in distilling. Schmidt’s first curatorial responsibilities began with a collaboration to develop an educational interpretation of the Old Taylor House, a historic home at the distillery, and populate expanded areas of the Visitor Center with historic materials.
Schmidt, who graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in the history of art, was a student assistant in the Visual Resources Center and a gallery attendant for the Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery. In October 2014 she was a featured speaker at a two-day VRA mini-conference held at Vanderbilt. Her topic was “In Production: Establishing the Buffalo Trace Distillery Archives.” She earned a master of arts degree (Critical and Curatorial Studies) in 2015 from the University of Louisville as well as a master of public administration degree (Non Profit, Public, and Organizational Management). Her thesis was entitled “Corporate History and Curatorial Practice at Buffalo Trace Distillery.”
Online Registration: December 5, 2016 - March 17, 2017
Transportation provided by Buffalo Trace Distillary
Meet at the registration desk 10 minutes before your tour is scheduled to depart.