The Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) has been cooking up an immersive exhibit that will have guests falling in love with the woman who made America fall in love with cooking.
Julia Child: A Recipe for Life opens at the museum Saturday. The exhibit explores the key ingredients of Julia Child’s personal evolution, taking a look at the inspiring moments of her life and the family and friends who supported her career and giving visitors insight into her life beyond fame.
Interactive and immersive experiences are also part of the exhibit, including the chance to step inside the television studio and onto the set of The French Chef, vintage, operable camera included. There are also photos from Julia’s husband, Paul Child, along with personal papers and favorite kitchen tools. And a special photo op allows you to climb into a bathtub to recreate the Childs’ famous Valentine’s Day card.
The exhibit aims to highlight Julia’s tenacious spirit and the lessons she taught through cooking: It’s okay to not be perfect; cooking is about joy.
“Julia reveled in cooking’s joy, not in its perfection,” Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of CMC, said in a press release. “Because Julia broke a few eggs, we see a generation of amateur chefs trying, sometimes failing, often succeeding, but always enjoying the communal act of cooking. We’re excited to share Julia’s joy and her recipe for life.”
In conjunction with the exhibit, CMC will also showcase Cincinnati’s passion for food and the generations of chefs who have fed it in the local gallery. Visitors can learn more about chefs like Edith Hern Fossett, an enslaved cook in the kitchens of Thomas Jefferson’s White House and Monticello who introduced French cuisine to Cincinnati; Pierre Adrian, who earned the Maisonette its five stars; and Jean-Robert de Cavel and his culinary family tree.
The gallery also features dining sets, menus and a five-star medal from the Maisonette; a chef’s jacket from Jean-Robert’s Table; and the city’s critical influence on the Joy of Cooking, one of the nation’s most-sold cookbooks. Training and workforce development opportunities that make Cincinnati a hub for culinary talent will also be highlighted.
Learn more about Julia Child: A Recipe for Life and buy tickets here.
Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., West End. More info: cincymuseum.org.
This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.
