VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Mark Kratzner remembers when he found out famous comedian Red Skelton was from Indiana. And it prompted him with a goal.

“I wanted to find out who else [in Hollywood] was from Indiana.”

That began Kratzner’s journey to curating an exhibit for the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy centered around Hoosiers in Hollywood. The exhibit features celebrities, like Terre Haute native Bill Thompson or Fort Wayne native Carole Lombard, who made an impact in film or television.

Dr. Annette Bochenek was a speaker at the museum on Sunday. She started a blog in 2013 titled, “Hometowns to Hollywood,” that documents the impact different stars had on the cities they were born in.

She said you can see how hometowns influence these stars through their respective work.

“[With Red Skelton] and Vincennes, Indiana, there are so many places that were of relevance to Red that still exist,” Bochenek said. “You can pinpoint these physical locations in Vincennes to stories that Red told and places that had meaning to him.”

Kratzner said he hopes people who see his exhibit can draw inspiration from it.

“You don’t have to be from a big city to make it big and entertain people,” he said. “You can be from a small town in Indiana and be a major part in television and movie history.”

“When they find out that the person who they see on the screen is from Indiana, there might be a little bit of special pride. Hey that person’s from my hometown, or home state.”