Genevieve von Petzinger is an internationally recognized paleoanthropologist and rock art researcher specializing in prehistoric cave art and early proto-writing systems. Her academic work focuses on the evolution of symbolic thought in hominin species during the Paleolithic, with particular attention to geometric signs, early art-making practices, and the emergence of structured graphic communication.

Genevieve has conducted fieldwork at more than one hundred cave and rock art sites across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. She has co-directed major archaeology projects on multiple continents and integrates a wide range of technical tools into her research to trace the intercontinental movement of people and ideas during humanity’s earliest eras.

As a National Geographic Explorer and TED Senior Fellow, Genevieve is also a globally respected science communicator. Her TED Talk on Ice Age cave art has been viewed over 10 million times and she and her research are frequently featured in international media projects.

She is the author of “The First Signs: Unlocking the Mysteries of the World’s Oldest Symbols”, which has been regarded as one of the most significant works of our evolutionary ancestry since Richard Leakey’s “Origins”.

Join us Tuesday, July 7th at 9pm in the Auditorium for a great presentation via Zoom as Genevieve joins us ‘live’ from Abu Dhabi!

The Creekers - Monday Night Entertainment

We are thrilled to announce The Creekers will be joining us for the Monday Night Howdy Party!

Creeping out of the hollers and hideouts of eastern Kentucky, come The Creekers with a sound as crisp as the mountain morning air, and a rhythm as steady as a front porch rocking chair. The Creekers summed up in one word: genuine. The Creekers are a lively, six-piece, band that blends authentic bluegrass music with country and pop influences. Generational roots run deep in Leslie County, Kentucky, where The Creekers formed over a shared love for the timeless sounds of traditional American music…..”Hillbilly music.” In fact, The Creekers name is inspired by the small creeks and hollers of home, reflecting their commitment to music that’s authentic, unpolished, and deeply rooted in the land and culture of their upbringing.

Over the past couple of years, The Creekers have played bars, small rooms, and festivals. As a result, the band has built a loyal fan base, and earned a reputation for fun, energetic, live shows filled with fiery instrumentals, raw emotion, and a genuine connection to their audience. The band released their first album, Pour Me In The Creek, in 2024. As the prolific bug bit ‘em, the band churned out their next project with the introspective EP, River Rat. Turns out, they had more loyal fans than they’d bargained for because their song “Tennessee” shot to top 5 of Spotify’s Viral 50-USA chart and parked there for multiple weeks in the summer of 2025. The Creekers are Tanner Horton (vocals, lead guitar), Allen Hacker (vocals, rhythm guitar), Jagger Bowling (bass, vocals), Ashton Bowling (cajon), Scott Sutton (banjo, vocals), and Anna Blanton (fiddle), the only non-Kentucky native (and avid caver!), but the rest of the group laughingly forgives her.

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band - Friday Night Entertainment

Following the Awards Banquet, we will rock the night away with the talented Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band to send us off for the week. Also appreciators of caves, check out this promotional video filmed with Reverend Peyton and Breezy in Bluespring Caverns - the acoustics are amazing!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OslcVD4-1XraBijaONAanqCI9j-k5Eqj/view?usp=drive_link

Three time Blues Music Award nominee's The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band are "the greatest front-porch blues band in the world". They are led by Reverend Peyton, who most consider to be the premier finger picker playing today. He has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David “Honeyboy” Edwards.

Their latest record, Honeysuckle, was mixed by eight-time Grammy winner Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White). The record features many special guests, including gospel music group The McCrary Sisters, Blues Music Hall of Famer and Grammy-nominated harmonica player Billy Branch, Grammy award-winning and IBMA's 10-time Fiddle Player of the Year Michael Cleveland and Colton Crawford from The Dead South. The band is critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Relix, Popmatters, Guitar World, American Songwriter, No Depression, Glide, Wide Open Country, Paste, American Blues Scene and many more!

Watch the "Honeysuckle" video: https://youtu.be/GTCn1ZbV3eo

Watch the "Looking For a Manger" video featuring The McCrary Sisters" - https://youtu.be/-hHFum2XIxw?si=JlLseIVkFnMXE5Vt

Listen to the new record: https://on.soundcloud.com/WQW6mQZskc5bVVPi7

Official Channels & Content:

Website: https://www.bigdamnband.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigdamnband/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdamnband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigdamnband