The new Kentucky Derby Museum expansion includes two new exhibits dedicated to legends of the Derby: Jockey Bill Shoemaker and trainer D. Wayne Lukas. This project was designed and overseen by Relay Design Co.

Unique Imaging Concepts produced a wide range of custom printed fine art panels for the exhibits. We used Chromaluxe MDF panels as the primary substrate for this project. This material works well for exhibits because it is vibrant and durable, and its thickness gives a dimensional quality to the final prints. In addition to stunningly reproduced archival photos and documents, we printed text panels with quotes, descriptions, and guidance for the audience as they move through the exhibits. Universal Woods, maker of our Chromaluxe dye sublimation substrates, provided custom routed panels for unique shapes and accents.

We hand painted the edges of our MDF panels with unique colors of paint chosen to coordinate with other elements of the overall exhibit design. Because we had never used this particular paint before, it required some prototyping to ensure the paint could withstand the heat of our sublimation process.

We installed our printed panels alongside the other vendors working on this project. The Kentucky Derby Museum had an ambitious installation schedule planned for this exhibit. Thanks to a well-coordinated effort by all vendors and some long installation days, we were able to get everything installed and meet the opening deadline. We are proud to have worked alongside several other very talented vendors to complete this project: Solid Light Inc., who produced the custom display cases housing awards and historical artifacts, as well as large scale custom graphics; and other details produced by Sign4Louisville and USA Image.