Remembering Sallie Bingham
Every artist knows that creating takes courage. Every woman, gender non-conforming, and trans artist knows that finding the courage is only one of many roadblocks they face in making their art. From systemic racism and sexism, to lack of funds and caretaking demands, we need leaders who can change norms and challenge the patriarchy. Sallie Bingham was that leader for women, gender non-conforming, and trans artists in Kentucky and beyond.
She knew the kind of courage it took to speak up and speak out, which is what she did when she founded KFW in 1985. Sallie had a radical vision for change. In an April 2024 blog post, Sallie described the inception of the Kentucky Foundation for Women:
Having long learned through my personal experience as a writer and my observation of women artists—both as activists and as individuals with passion and talent—the effect of art created by women on the lives of other women, I decided to design a foundation that would support, with bi-annual grants, women artists in Kentucky working as feminists for social change. I was aware of the fact that large national foundations do little for this area. The Foundation would focus on the power of feminist art and conduct outreach to areas of the state and minority populations seldom reached by other philanthropies. And no philanthropy offered stipends to women working as radical artists.
On the thirtieth anniversary of KFW, Ann Stewart Anderson, the late artist and former KFW Executive Director, observed, “In its first decade, the KFW was remarkable in that it told women in Kentucky that the art, the poetry, the music they created was valuable– so valuable that the Foundation had been established to support financially and encourage female voices which had often been too quiet to be heard in our state. For many, KFW was the beginning of big dreams realized and significant change became possible.”
The foundation would continue to grow and change with the times. In a 2015 interview for KFW’s digital storytelling project, Sallie shared her vision that the future of KFW would continue to see “more younger women, more women of color, more women who represent the different genders . . . broader diversity. Because the danger of any institution is that it gets itself stuck in a niche… so always to be opening out…you don’t have to conform to what we might consider the norms in order to apply for a grant. It’s the only way that foundations continue to be relevant: if they continue to grow. And I would always like it to be very radical.”
Having the courage to make art and change must be cultivated. Sallie spoke of the role of courage in an interview with Lexington publisher and poet Katerina Stoykova on the Accents radio show/pod cast.
When asked what the most important thing to teach her writing students, Sallie observed,
“The most important thing is courage. It has nothing to do with technique, experience, skills. It’s a quality of the soul. . . it’s frightening, it’s dangerous, it can lead to unintended consequences, but great writing comes out of courage. For us women, I think it is the most difficult and the most important thing to develop.”
Her courage has had ripple effects for the over 1,600 artists who have gotten funding from KFW and become part of the vibrant community that has arisen through Sallie’s efforts. A few of them share their thoughts here.
Nzingha B.Sweeney Sheppard, 2015 Sallie Bingham Award winner and owner of Nzingha Creations Gallery and founder of the Mary Alyce Foundation, described how the foundation helped her reach her dreams as an artist. “I was in awe of the fact that there was a place we could go to reflect and create. A dream fulfilled–thank you Sallie for being courageous enough to believe in your dream and the courage to allow other women to oversee that your dream continues to grow, like my friend Judi Jennings and now Sharon LaRue,” former and current Executive Directors of KFW.
Betty Dobson, 2018 Sallie Bingham Award winner, who preserves and interprets African-American history at the Hotel Metropolitan in Paducah, spoke with gratitude of the inspiration that Sallie provided her.
“Sallie Bingham was a warrior for women’s rights. How brilliant she was to use the Arts as a way to inspire women and provide support to help those who wanted to make a difference in their community, state, and world to do so. Although I never had the opportunity to meet Ms. Bingham, I am proud to say that I am a past Sallie Bingham award winner. The award inspired me to be the best performer and storyteller I can be, thanks to her. Ms. Sallie Bingham, thank you for the legacy that you left for us to aspire toward. Rest well, dear lady.”
Mary Jefferson, 1996 Sallie Bingham Award winner and founder of the African American Women’s Literary Series, and the Louisville Organizing Arts Group (LOAG), reflected on the legacy of Sallie and the model of courage she provided.
“Sallie Bingham, from what is revealed, lived her life with courage, spunk and resilience. Whether good, bad or indifferent– feminist, womanist or “other,” as artists and advocates, we must find our own levels of courage that may hold greater aspirations and pursuits. Singular spaces in time coupled with learned experiences against all odds often determine how we opt to navigate within a world that oppresses women, girls and those living in marginalized communities. Role models exist to view the possibilities of who we can become. What may be a courageous act for one may not necessarily be the same template for another. Courage is not etched into stone nor is it a “one size fits all” phenomenon.”
At a KFW Regional Gathering in Pikeville, Kentucky, participants discussed the flooding in recent years. Kris Preston, organizer of Mountain Grrl Experience and Coaltown Dixie, and leader of that regional gathering offered these thoughts:
“While experiencing devastating losses and emotional trauma, KFW grantees have demonstrated resilience. We continue to move forward with creating art and supporting others creating art. Indeed, we find that this is more important now than ever before. Moving forward takes fortitude and courage. I’d like to think that we are inspired to be this courageous because of women like Sallie Bingham, whose grit and generous nature have helped pave the way for artists like us…and continues to provide support in our endeavors to make our part of the world, or at least Kentucky, a better place.”
Judi Jennings, former executive director and 2017 Bingham Award winner, reflected on the ripple effect of Sallie’s courage and generosity.
“Sallie Bingham had the courage to express her own views, even in public, to her powerful family. She had the courage to make art that mattered to her and encouraged all women to create art and express their own views at home and in public. She not only counted on her own courage, but she also believed in the power and courage of all women in Kentucky. When it came right down to it, she used her financial resources to provide almost unimaginable opportunities to Kentucky women and girls to express their dreams through art.”
On August 7, 2025, one day after Sallie’s sudden death, twenty women who’d received KFW support across the last four decades gathered in Lexington. “We sat in a circle and shared stories of how KFW had allowed us to embrace lives as artists. As the stories layered, one upon another, a sense of awe enveloped the room. We had a visceral understanding of the difference Sallie Bingham’s vision had made–of the courage each of us had received from KFW’s affirmation, of how that courage rippled out in our lives as individuals and emerge in the scope of art produced over KFW’s 40 years. . . Sallie remained personally involved with KFW in its formative years to insure that the foundation sustained her vision. More than this, Sallie had the courage to allow her vision to evolve as new kinds of art and new ways of supporting women artists came into being. Her steadfast commitment to women’s art and activism helped create the condition for that evolution,” said Leatha Kendrick, a poet, writer, grantee, 2013 Sallie Bingham Award winner and two time Al Smith Fellowship winner.
Stacy Bailey-Ndiaye, KFW grantee and founder and executive director of Bridge Kids International (BKI), a global non-profit organization, reflected on how Sallie’s courage and the courage of the artists KFW funded has created change and empowered women across the state,
“Anytime someone has a vision and persists over time, obstacles, and doubts, to see it through, we see real change. When a woman does it, she transforms a community and even the world. That’s why it is critical for feminist artists to boldly create—to speak the truth from our perspectives and challenge conventional wisdom so we can see ourselves more clearly and be moved to act. Women’s lives, voices and wisdom are invaluable and KFW gives women artists the space and support to trust and value our own work. Through a KFW-funded project, I called myself an artist for the first time. I felt validated and more confident as I elevated what I had considered a hobby to an actual art form. Seeing myself as an artist has been such a gift. Where I might have hidden and downplayed my creative spirit, I am now eager to share it and am constantly thinking of new stories I can tell in celebration of my people. Sallie has left a legacy far beyond her singular life. I am proud to be part of the community celebrating her today!”
Sallie’s own words continue to offer encouragement to artists. In her January 2025 essay, “Sometimes I Feel Discouraged”, Sallie wrote, “We cannot afford to be discouraged for long. Above all, we cannot afford to be afraid. Fear means giving over our power to what we fear. Our power lies in that grain of hope, sustained through affliction – small as one of the sunflower seeds the birds are pecking outside my window. It endures.”
“In 1985 Sallie radically challenged the status quo to create a foundation (KFW) that honored women’s courage and fight for equality.” said Sharon LaRue, Executive Director of KFW.
“She had the foresight to see the distinctive way that feminist art could advance women’s voices, to dream new possibilities, to set a course where women had the agency to shift systems of thought and to spark social change. KFW continues to provide a vital resource, an interconnected space for women, trans and gender nonconforming people to see themselves as feminist artists, part of a living learning network where they embrace their differences, share power, and nourish each other’s spirits.
“In 2025, Sallie’s gift of support for feminist art is passed on to the next generation that will continue her radical vision of courage and action for the future. We thank you, Sallie, for planting that seed of hope that has grown into a fearless, vibrant, radical arts community sparking change across the Commonwealth.”
