WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (March 12, 2020) – The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) will host several exhibitions this year that tell the story of women in United States motorsports.
The first exhibition, Trackside Stories: Kathie J. Meredith’s Motorsports Photographs, 1968-1972, will be mounted by the IMRRC in collaboration with the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, NY. The show, on display at the Arnot from March 24, 2020, through June 27, 2020, will feature 30 motorsports photographs by photojournalist Kathie J. Meredith. Meredith, a photographer and writer with the Daily Messenger newspaper in Canandaigua, NY, covered races at the Watkins Glen International racetrack during the most exciting era in the circuit’s history, when it hosted major national racing events as well as top-level international races in the prestigious Formula One series. Her motorsports photographs tell a myriad of stories found trackside – of fans, track workers, and internationally-famous racecar drivers. The images on display are drawn from part of a collection donated by Meredith to the IMRRC.
“Meredith’s images are a significant body of work by a female sports photographer during the ‘golden age’ of racing at the Glen,” said Jenny Ambrose, head archivist at the IMRRC. “At the time, there were few women photographers at the track, and very few were granted access to drivers and pits.” The exhibition of Meredith’s photographs is part of a larger project undertaken by the IMRRC in 2020 to celebrate the contributions of women to motorsports. In May, the Center will present the primary exhibition Women of Speed: Legacies in Motorsports at its visitors’ center at 610 South Decatur in Watkins Glen with smaller complementary displays in satellite locations throughout the village. Women of Speed will include
objects from the collection related to women in racing, such as helmets, trophies, race results and photographs – all to help tell the story of women’s involvement in racing over time, both behind the scenes and on the track.
“The IMRRC is one of the best collections of motorsports history in the world and we want to use our collections to bring the stories of motor racing to life,” said Dan DeRusha, the Research Center’s executive director. “We are very excited to showcase objects from our archives in a way that tells the often-overlooked stories of the contributions women have made to the world of motorsports.” The exhibitions and related programming are made possible by grants from the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes. Both exhibitions coincide with the centennial of American women’s suffrage.
About the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC)
Located in one of the premier racing towns in America, the IMRRC’s collection spans continents, eras, and race series, embodying the speed, drama and camaraderie of amateur and professional motor racing throughout the world. The Center welcomes serious researchers and casual fans alike to share stories of race drivers, race series, and race cars captured on its shelves and walls and brought to life through exhibitions and special events. The IMRRC is free and open to the public, no appointment necessary, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. More at racingarchives.org.
About the Arnot Art Museum
Founded with the bequest by Matthias H. Arnot of his collection, home, and an endowment in 1910, the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, NY, has grown to become one of the leading cultural institutions in the region. The mission of the Arnot Art Museum is to preserve the original collection of Matthias H. Arnot and, with a primary focus on representational art, to collect and exhibit works of art possessing the highest quality, merit, enduring worth, and interest. The Museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 12-5 p.m., and admission is $7 for adults. More at arnotartmuseum.org.
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