Owensboro ‘a showcase of America,’ photographer says

Carol Highsmith has traveled America for 40 years, preserving its towns and countrysides on film and digital formats.

Today, roughly 100,000 of those images are on display in the Library of Congress and on its website.

Last week, she was in Owensboro for the first time.

On Tuesday, in a conference call with the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Highsmith said, “I’m not easy to impress, but you impressed me.”

She said, “Everything is so well done there. Your playground by the river, your bluegrass museum. You’ve got it all together. You’re a huge showcase of America.”

Mark Calitri, CVB president, said, “Owensboro should be proud to be selected by someone of Carol Highsmith’s national prominence and notoriety to be featured in this project.”

Dave Kirk, destination management director, said, “Endorsements like this from a national influencer carry a lot of weight in a potential visitor’s mind. Highsmith is also letting us use her incredible photos featuring Owensboro for future marketing efforts at no cost. We’re incredibly grateful for this wonderful gift.”

For the full story by the Messenger-Inquirer’s Keith Lawrence, click here